Warriors: Everlasting Miracles Turn 1: ThunderClan's Hope
by Geasswolf
Summary: After risking his life in order to fulfill the Zero Requiem, Lelouch Vi Britannia is brought into a world much different than his due to the immortality given to him by stealing his father's code. He has been told to be a savior to the four Clans of the forest, but will this new cat be able to become the hero the Clans need?
1. Prologue

Hello everybody, and welcome to the revised version of ThunderClan's Hope. I decided to rewrite this series (and give it a new name as well) since Warriors has returned to becoming a love of mine as of late, and also because I have severe writer's block in the way of Eternal Memories. I hope that this version is better than the one I typed three years ago when I first started writing.

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Warriors: Everlasting Miracles Turn 1: ThunderClan's Hope

Prologue

 _It was a rainy day in_ the forest, not a spot of sunlight in the pitch black sky. In the Leader's den was an orange tom who was fast asleep, when in reality he was dreaming, a dream that would put his whole Clan in power over the sneaky ShadowClan and those flea pelts known as WindClan.

Firestar looked around the lush moonlit landscape and saw that various cats were resting, talking, or hunting. He was in StarClan, the territory of all the kindhearted warriors who have died in the past. He always loved it when he appeared here while dreaming because all the cats seemed at peace, and the beautiful moonlight added to the calm and soothing vibe.

"Firestar!" He looked around and saw Spottedleaf, a tortoiseshell and white she-cat that he was always fond of ever since he gave up his kittypet life. She ran up to him and he smiled at the sight of her, the she-cat being someone he loved fondly. "Are you doing alright?"

"I'm managing well, no thanks to you and the other cats here."

"I'm happy to hear that." She responded. "You're here because Bluestar has a message she wants to give you."

"Oh. Well do you mind leading the way?" She nodded, and as they passed by other cats, they greeted Firestar. Everyone in StarClan was fond of the ThunderClan leader and his story of how he rose from kittypet to clan leader. They walked over to a rock where Bluestar was lying down. Her ears pricked up when she heard the sound of rustling grass right next to her and saw both Spottedleaf and Firestar.

"It's a pleasure to see you, Firestar." He bowed his head, and she let out a small laugh. "You don't need to bow your head in my presence you know."

"Oh, I'm sorry Bluestar!" His reaction sent a bit of nostalgia through the blue-gray she-cat, remembering how he acted the same way when he was Firepaw, and even when he was Fireheart.

"Anywho, I've called you here because I have a new prophecy to inform you about. I'm sure Spottedleaf told you about it already, correct?" The medicine cat nodded her head.

"So, what's the prophecy about?"

"It states that a cat from a faraway land will come and aid your clan in its time of need."

"A cat from a faraway land? Can you describe the land for me?" She shook her head.

"I'm afraid not. StarClan doesn't have the ability to see that far into prophecies, but I'm sure you'll find your answer soon enough."

"Well, I guess we'll see each other again, right?" Spottedleaf asked him.

"Yup."

"Oh, before you go, make sure you keep taking good care of Sandstorm, okay?" He nodded, and the two StarClan cats watched as Firestar suddenly disappeared from their view.

Firestar awoke from his dream in a startled tone and saw that it cause his mate, Sandstorm, to wake up.

"Firestar, is something wrong?"

"I just had a dream with StarClan." He replied. "They said that a cat from a faraway land will come and help our Clan in our time of need." Firestar replied.

"A cat from a faraway land? Is there anything else specific about the cat that you know?" Sandstorm wondered.

"I wish I could say yes, but Bluestar wasn't able to tell me anything else because that's all she knew. Maybe it's the job of Jayfeather to talk to StarClan and figure out who this cat could be."

"I hope that's the case. We've had enough trouble with the other clans, not to mention our own." Sandstorm brought up the point about what has been going on in the clan for many moons, such as the whole dilemma with Sol and was wondering if this certain cat would just be a copy of him, bringing help to ThunderClan, but betraying them in the long run? Or was the mysterious cat really what StarClan described him as: a savior to ThunderClan. They would soon know in time when it would be bound to happen, or until Jayfeather received any news from StarClan. He hoped that he wouldn't drop down as Medicine Cat after their last Gathering.

"Let's hope we find this cat soon enough." He hoped. "Anyway, we should get some sleep. We never know what might happen tomorrow, so we need as much rest as we can get." His mate nodded, and the two shared a quick nuzzle before going to sleep. As they drifted off to sleep, Firestar still couldn't stop thinking about his prophecy gained moments ago from StarClan. _Who is this special cat, and will his power alone make it possible to achieve peace in the forest?_

* * *

I'd like to apologize for anyone that was expecting an update to Eternal Memories or a new story in the Eternal Friendship series of mine. I didn't expect to try and revise this story, but after getting back into Warriors (Wasn't really not into it, just didn't touch it for a bit.) I couldn't resist retyping and using some of the skills I've gained from typing all the other stories that came after it. (Not sure if you could call them skills.) Another small reason for rewriting this was because I already did tie it into Bonds Beyond Worlds and I can't really undo it, so I thought it would be better to improve it. For those of you who read the first rendition of this story, there will be a lot of changes, and I also plan on making Turn 3 The Blades of Destiny nonexistent altogether. I hope that you enjoy this revised version of Lelouch's first journey. ~Geasswolf Out.


	2. Chapter 1 Walking on Paws

Chapter 1: Walking on Paws

Suzaku Kururugi, who was disguised as Zero, accomplished peace by killing Lelouch Vi Britannia, the enemy of the World, but because of stealing Charles Zi Britannia's Code, he went on to live another life.

Lelouch stood alone on a moonlit grassy plain, the cold wind blowing through his hair. He wasn't sure where he was, but he knew for a fact that he was alone. Suddenly, Lelouch heard a voice call his name in the distance, however, he was the only one there and he wasn't able to comprehend how he could hear anybody else. When Lelouch heard that voice again, he automatically knew whose voice that was: It was C.C, his companion from the Black Rebellion to his death.

"C.C! How are you talking to me?" He asked out loud.

"Well, when you get resurrected, the person who gave you your Geass can speak to you telepathically" C.C informed.

"So, how will this process work?" Lelouch asked

"To be honest, this is my first time doing this. I only know some details from the other members of the Geass Order." C.C admitted.

"You're kidding me! You're gonna pay for this somehow…"

"Yeah, yeah, I know. At least be glad that you'll be back in some sort of society…somehow." Her edgy voice instilled a bit of fear inside of Lelouch. "I'm sure you realize that sending you to Japan really isn't an option."

"I'm aware. Everyone back in my original world thinks I'm dead, and living a life of solitude there might be a bit too risky."

"Correct. Just so you know, I can always speak telepathically to you, and wherever you go you'll still have the power of Geass."

"I guess that can help support me in my hopefully normal life." He said sarcastically, knowing that it most likely wasn't going to be the case. He let out a small sigh. "Okay C.C., whenever you're ready." In about a couple of seconds, Lelouch was surrounded by a bright light and his vision suddenly disappeared.

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/

It was bright outside, the sun glowing on everything, from the trees and flowers, to the nearby pond reflecting and shining beautifully. Lelouch suddenly woke up from being knocked out from the fall he took when he was transported to this new world. As Lelouch stood up, he felt as if everything in this new world was bigger. In addition, his process of getting up was strange, having to go on all four legs that just his usual two.

 _Where in the world did C.C transport me to?_ Lelouch thought as he walked on his four legs, trying to get used to walking that way. As he walked, he decided to go through the forest to check his surroundings even further. His walk took him very deep into the forest as he pondered about what was going on, but his thoughts were suddenly wiped away when out of the bushes, a golden furred cat leaped out and attacked him.

"What are you doing on ThunderClan territory you flea-pelt? You know you don't belong here!" The golden tom told him, his voice raised.

"What are you talking about? Get off me!" Lelouch yelled back.

"Why? So you can go back and get your other friends?"

"Lionblaze calm down! Look at him. I've never seen a cat look so confused about something before, and he has no specific clan scent." A gray tom informed him.

"Graystripe's right Lionblaze. He's as innocent as a kit." A she-cat added.

"He could be deceiving us, Dovewing." Lionblaze retorted, his voice a bit calmer than before. Lelouch tried to wiggle out of Lionblaze's grasp, but even when not paying attention, Lionblaze still kept enough pressure on his shoulders.

 _A cat? What were they talking about?_ Lelouch thought as he looked at the two other gray cats who were trying to vouch for him.

"Okay I'll let him go and he can explain everything, but if he escapes, it's both your fault." Lionblaze told them.

"Agreed" The two other gray cats nodded. Lionblaze got off of Lelouch and they watched as he struggled to get to his feet. He shook the dirt off of his body and let out a breath of relief.

"So, what are you doing here? You don't seem to have a collar, so you must be a loner." Graystripe concluded.

"First of all, I don't know what you're talking about being a cat, and I'm not a loner, whatever that is." Lelouch answered.

"Not a cat? Why don't you look at yourself in that puddle over there?" Dovewing said with a little giggle, pointing at the nearby puddle. Lelouch walked up to the puddle and looked at himself. He was a black cat with his normal violet eyes and his hairstyle was there, but made out of fur.

"This can't be real…" Lelouch thought out loud, looking at one of his paws and also touching his face with one as well. He watched as his black tail began to move behind him, and as much as he was freaked out, he kept a calm composure.

"It's real, and sorry if Lionblaze hurt you before. He's a very loyal warrior." Graystripe stated, apologizing for his friend's actions.

"It's okay, I understand. Loyalty's a very strong characteristic to have." Lelouch replied.

"By the way, what's your name?" Dovewing asked, bringing up the question that probably should've been asked right when Lionblaze allowed Lelouch up.

"My name's Lelouch. I'm not from this world…wherever we are. This isn't Japan, right?" They shook their heads.

"Not from this world? We should take you over to our Clan. I'm pretty sure Firestar will let you stay knowing that you apparently aren't from here." Lionblaze told him.

"Thanks, I'd appreciate it." As they were walking, Lionblaze told Lelouch about how there were four clans and that they were different in many ways, such as the food they ate and the way they battled. Lelouch then returned the favor by telling them more about himself, like how he was a royal prince, but he wasn't really sure they understood what he meant, being cats and all.

"So you were basically re-incarnated into a cat after dying to bring justice to your original world, right?" Graystripe asked. A pang of memory hit Lionblaze as he remembered about how the cat he loved, Cinderheart, was a re-incarnation of ThunderClan's old medicine cat, Cinderpelt, and she felt confused and troubled because of it.

"Wow, your past life sounds like there was a lot going on in it. Trust me, if you stay here, you'll easily get used to it." Dovewing reassured

As they walked, Lelouch started thinking about what he would now do in his new life and how he would choose to accept the fact that this may have been fate's decision. Lelouch got help by Lionblaze and Graystripe on how to walk because this was all new to him, but there was more that he needed to learn to possibly become a full-fledged warrior in ThunderClan.

When the four arrived at the ThunderClan camp, Lelouch just got attacked by glaring eyes from almost all the cats he passed by; even the kits looked at him. Then all the gossip started. He could overhear the many voices of warriors wondering who he was and that his scent was very unfamiliar. As the many talks around the clan subsided, the clan leader, Firestar, jumped off of the rocks that led to his den with much grace.

"Lionblaze, Graystripe, Dovewing, I believe that you have found a strange intruder on our territory, but there seems to be a problem if you brought him in the heart of our clan." Firestar stated

"Actually, he means no harm. He is from another world and hasn't even heard of the clans." Lionblaze answered.

"Yeah and he didn't even know how to walk, and he was injure free when we found him, until Lionblaze let out his loyalty and attacked him." Dovewing added with a small laugh.

"Didn't even know how to walk? Can you believe that?" One cat said.

"This cat seems harmless, so tell me, what's your name?" Firestar asked

"My name's Lelouch."

"Well Lelouch, we shall give you a place to stay in our clan, because I'm sure none of the other clans would accept an outsider."

"Thank you, I hope to be no problem in your clan."

"I hope so too." Firestar ended the conversation and everyone went off with their normal clan duties.

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/

"Alright Lelouch, you're now a guest to ThunderClan. Maybe you could climb up the ranks and become a warrior and get your warrior name." Graystripe informed Lelouch.

"Warrior…name?" Lelouch said, tilting his head in confusion.

"Ah I forgot! You have no idea what that is! Well, a warrior name is a name given to apprentices when they complete their apprenticeship. You probably can choose to get a warrior name if you want." Graystripe stated.

"Maybe I'll stick with Lelouch."

"Hey, looks like you got the way how to walk on your paws now." Lionblaze said as he approached Graystripe and Lelouch.

"So far I got the hang of it." Lelouch replied.

"Graystripe, Firestar wanted us to introduce Lelouch to other clanmates and give him a tour around the camp." Lionblaze told Graystripe.

"That gives him a great opportunity to meet everybody. Maybe, you can tell your stories to the kits and apprentices once the clan warms up about you. Ha, you'll feel like an elder on your first day possibly." Graystripe joked.

"Okay Lelouch, let's get your trip around ThunderClan started." They began their walk around and Lionblaze came to a stop at the warriors' den. "This is where you'll be sleeping as the sun falls and the moon rises. It'll be best if you get to know every cat in here so that they won't be worried about you being some bad cat or stuff like that." Lionblaze suggested.

They entered the warriors' den and Lionblaze went on explaining how this introduction process would work. The warriors' den was very stable, not a single cat being shocked as Lelouch walked inside. Suddenly, Lelouch just heard a big list of names being called, but he wanted to take it a step back and be introduced to them one by one.

"Hey, you should meet with my sister first." Dovewing urged him.

Lelouch was scanning the den with Dovewing and they found a pale gray cat with blue eyes. The two walked up to her and Lelouch greeted her with a small friendly smile when she looked at him.

"So this is Lelouch huh? Well I see that he has got walking like a cat down." She let out a small giggle. "By the way, I'm Dovewing's sister, Ivypool."

"Well it's nice to meet you." He told her.

"You should meet my sister, Hollyleaf too then." Lionblaze told him. They walked over to a black furred cat with green eyes. "Hollyleaf, this is Lelouch." He then looked over to Lelouch. "We thought we lost Hollyleaf a while ago, but here she is now."

"Well, I'm sure everyone here is glad to see that you're back and alive, Hollyleaf." Lelouch told her.

"I hope so. I really missed this clan, and my brothers very much."

After about 10 minutes introducing himself, Lelouch was introduced to the other warriors in the den: Dustpelt, Sandstorm, Brackenfur, Sorreltail, Cloudtail, Brightheart, Millie, Squirrelflight, Leafpool, Spiderleg, Birchfall, Whitewing, Berrynose, Hazletail, Mousewhisker, Cinderheart, Foxleap, Icecloud, Toadstep, Rosepetal, Blossomfall, and Bumblestripe. It was going to be a pain for him to remember all those names, but he hoped for the best. Afterwards, they exited the warriors' den, they soon walked over to the medicine cat's den.

"My brother, Jayfeather is the medicine cat here, He may be blind, but he can do a lot of things." Lionblaze explained

Lelouch then started to remember about his own sister, Nunnally, and how she was blind as well. He started to think that maybe his Geass could help him, but he decided not to reveal his Geass until the right time. When they walked into the medicine cat den, the gray cat's ears perked up.

"Lionblaze, I can hear you coming, and I can tell that you brought along the new cat that will be staying with us." Jayfeather announced.

"Wow, he may be blind, but his other senses must have been enhanced greatly." Lelouch stated with a bit of awe.

"Hello, I'm Jayfeather and you should come straight here in case any problems may arise with your health." Jayfeather told him.

"I'll make sure I do." Lelouch replied.

Lelouch then came across another cat inside the medicine cat's den. She was a she-cat but something was wrong with her.

"Hi, I'm Briarlight and you must be that new cat, what was your name again? I'll feel too embarrassed if I get it wrong."

"It's Lelouch. Um…do you mind me asking why you're here? It's not because you're sick, is it?" She turned away from his gaze, the sudden spark she had now disappeared.

Jayfeather interrupted. "I don't think that you should make her bring that back up, especially with Graystripe in here." Lelouch looked over at Graystripe and noticed the pain in his eyes.

"I'm really sorry. I didn't mean for it to be that way, honest."

"Don't worry Lelouch, it's fine, you didn't know. Besides, we still have the rest of the clan to show you." Graystripe told him, trying to lighten up the sudden sorrow he was feeling. As they were walking, Graystripe began to speak. "Briarlight…she's my daughter…" He told him. "One day a tree fell into the clearing of the camp and she ran after Longtail, one of the elders who was alive at the time. We found him dead…and Lionblaze and some of the others found Briarlight trapped under a tree." He let out a breath. "Jayfeather found out that her backbone was broken and she'd never be able to walk again, so he does his best to take care of her."

"Graystripe…I'm sorry that you'd had to tell me all that. My sister, Nunnally actually faces the same problem your daughter does, so I know where you're coming from. You worry about her almost every day and she's constantly on your mind."

"Yeah…but I'm just happy that she's alive and in good paws." He said, a bit of joy in his voice. "We should take you over to the elder's den now."

As they entered the elder's den he was greeted by some cats that didn't seem to act the way elders probably would in his world. As one of the elders, Purdy, was about to tell a story, the three cats knew that it was going to be hours before he finished, so they rushed Lelouch out of the den, and Graystripe then led him to the Queens' den.

"Wait, so this is where Firestar's mate sleeps, right? It's so big for one cat." Lelouch stated.

"Is that what queens are where you come from? In our world, queens are she-cats that are either expecting kits or nursing them." Graystripe clarified. As they walked into the den, he was greeted by two small cats. _They must have either been apprentices or kits to have this much of a liking to me so soon._ Lelouch thought.

"Cherryypaw, Molepaw, come over here! Sorry about my little apprentices, you know how the young ones are, always wanting to hear new stories." One queen told him.

"Lelouch, that's Poppyfrost and those other two are Ferncloud and Daisy." Dovewing introduced him.

"It's nice to meet you. We get a new visitor, and a cute one at that." Ferncloud teased, causing Lelouch to blush. The other queens noticed his embarrassment and Lelouch could hear them giggle at it. After the queens talked to Lelouch a bit, the four walked out of their den.

"Looks like your tour of the clan is done for today, and just in time too. You'll be sleeping with us and the other warriors. Oh this is going to be so much fun! We can tell stories and everything!" Dovewing said with a bit of excitement, almost acting like the kits in the queen's den.

When Firestar was informed that Lelouch was done with his tour, he got out of his den and walked over to Lelouch, Graystripe, Dovewing, and Lionblaze.

"Good job you three. Lelouch, I hope you're liking your stay so far."

"I am. Everything's so different than in my world…in a good way." He let out a yawn and Firestar let out a small laugh.

"You four have had a long day and you do deserve rest, so go to your den and get ready for tomorrow."


	3. Chapter 2 Destiny

Chapter 2: Destiny

Lelouch, along with Graystripe, Lionblaze, and Dovewing, walked into the den, and looked around to see if there was any room for them. Lelouch had trouble on picking where to sleep, so he just slept near Dovewing and drifted off to sleep. While he slept, a couple seconds later, he opened his eyes and saw wasn't in ThunderClan anymore. He saw no sign of Lionblaze, Graystripe, Dovewing, or any cats for that matter. He was still in his cat form, his surroundings now being a moonlit field that seemed empty. He heard the sound of grass rustling behind him and turned around to see C.C.

"Seems like I can speak to you face to face in your cat form. Actually, you turned out pretty cute for a cat." She teased, scratching him behind the ears.

"I'm not supposed to be cute. I need my Geass, but I don't know how to use it in this world. I'm sure you know how to, right?"

"I do. Have you even tried using your Geass yet? It should work the same exact way."

"I haven't had the opportunity to do so."

"Well then that's why. How are you supposed to know how to use it if you never tried? I thought you'd be smarter than that." He let out a growl. "Oh come now, don't be mad at me. Now's the perfect time to try using it." He looked up at her, and their eyes connected. The two stared at each other for a while. "I hope you know being a cat doesn't mean that your Geass is now in the form of cuteness."

"It's not funny. C.C., it really isn't working."

"Okay, I might have an idea on how to fix it." C.C then walked up to him, grabbed him, and hugged him

"Hey C.C! What are you doing? Let me go!" He commanded.

"Well, I'm not gonna kiss a cat to help you, so maybe hugging you would suffice instead. Oh, you're really soft too." She continued the hug for a bit longer than either of them anticipated, Lelouch pouting throughout the whole process. Once she realized that the cat she was holding was Lelouch, she placed him down. "Sorry about that. Okay, now try activating your Geass." Lelouch looked up at her and she watched as his violet eyes now transformed into ones encompassed with Geass. "Well, at least it worked. Also, now you won't need those contacts that I gave you to conceal your Geass. You can, like before, control the appearance of it in your eyes now." C.C stated.

"Thanks." He shook his body and then looked back up at her. "C.C., was it fate that brought me here? Or was it really by accident?" Lelouch asked.

"Lelouch, you know that there are things in life that cannot be answered, and that is one of them."

"You're not playing a trick on me, I know that for sure. I can tell from the sound of your voice."

"Well I thank you for saying that. I just hope that you've been safe for the time being. I don't want you getting hurt…not that you can die or anything anyway since you're immortal."

"Right. By the way, what is this place?"

"I'm not sure, but it's better than where I first talked to you, I know that much."

"Agreed. It's really beautiful. I wouldn't mind coming here to talk with you from now on." She let out a small laugh.

"I'll see what I can do." She petted his head. "I should get going now. Sleep well, Lelouch." He watched as his companion faded away and left him alone on the grassland.

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

Jayfeather was sleeping in the medicine cat's den. Like most his dreams, he would be led into StarClan to be informed of any prophecies that were to be given to him. When he arrived, he was greeted by Yellowfang.

"Hello Jayfeather, it seems that Spottedleaf has some news to tell you." Yellowfang informed him.

"Why can't you just tell me? Spottedleaf and I don't talk much, not that I don't like her or anything." Jayfeather questioned.

"This is an urgent message that only she knows, and she's the only one who can tell you, so if I were you, I would get my pelt over there." Yellowfang commanded.

As he went walking across StarClan territory, he looked for the tortoiseshell she-cat. When he finally saw her, he saw that she was rested beneath a tree with pink flowers.

"Cherry Blossoms" Spottedleaf told Jayfeather once she saw him.

"I've never smelled them before. They smell and look beautiful, but why would they just appear in StarClan all of a sudden?"

"A new prophecy is occurring, and it brought along one of the many saviors that will come aide the Clans. The Cherry Blossom tree is a tree local to where he's from." Spottedleaf explained.

"You're talking about Lelouch, right?"

Spottedleaf nodded. "Correct. He has this power called Geass that can manipulate anyone just by them locking into his gaze. He holds the power that will help ThunderClan become successful against WindClan and ShadowClan."

"How did you gain all this information all of a sudden?" Jayfeather asked.

Spottedleaf answered "One of Lelouch's friends came over here and told me." Spottedleaf answered. "I guess that she also brought over the Cherry Blossom tree and made it grow here." She then let out a small giggle. "I know you can't see him, but Lelouch is really cute."

"Okay…so why in the world did I need to know that?"

"Just telling you is all." Jayfeather rolled his eyes.

"Whatever. Anyway, what do I do now?"

"You need to inform Firestar about Lelouch because he knows about this savior as well." Spottedleaf requested, getting back on topic.

"Oh, and are you going to tell me about how cute Firestar is too?"

"No, but I'll tell you how cute you are." She teased, touching him with her tail, causing a blush to appear on his face. He pushed her tail away with his own, causing her to let out a small laugh.

"You really act like a kit, you know that?"

"Fun's a part of life, Jayfeather. I apologize if I made you feel uncomfortable. Anywho, just remember to tell Firestar about Lelouch when you wake up, okay?" He nodded, and Spottedleaf watched as his body began to disappear. He woke up from his dream and couldn't hear any sort of activity outside. _It's still nighttime. I probably just woke up from the dream, that's all._ With that, Jayfeather drifted back to sleep, remembering to tell Firestar the news about Lelouch in the morning.

When the sun rose, Jayfeather went directly to Firestar's den. He noticed that this was out of the ordinary because he was the one who would come to Jayfeather, but instead, it was the other way around.

"Firestar, I have some very important news for you!" Jayfeather gave his reason for why he came here in a rush.

"Well, StarClan isn't going to tell me themselves. So what did you want to tell me?"

"It's about Lelouch. In my dream, StarClan told me that Lelouch is here as one of our saviors to aid the clans. You do believe me, right?"

Firestar thought to himself about that prophecy he had two sunrises ago. _How could such an inexperienced cat be our savior_? "Well Jayfeather, I've had this prophecy told to me a couple of sunrises ago, so I believe you, but how does he have the power to help us?"

Jayfeather responded with one word. "Geass."

"Geass?" Jayfeather nodded.

"Spottedleaf told me that Geass has the power to manipulate anyone. She said that it was in his eyes."

"Really? Can you please tell Brambleclaw to bring him here for me?"

"Yes Firestar." Jayfeather walked out of the leader's den to find Brambleclaw.

Lelouch woke up from his literal cat-nap _. How am I ever gonna get used to this form?_ He wondered. He heard pawsteps approaching him from outside the den and saw that it was the ThunderClan deputy, Brambleclaw.

"Firestar wanted me to tell you to go to his den. It's about a very important matter. I'll escort you if you want." Brambleclaw told him.

"I'd appreciate it, thank you." _What did I do wrong now? I haven't done anything and I'm being called to Firestar's den. It can't be anything negative on my part._ He thought as he followed the deputy to Firestar's den. When they got there, Lelouch heard a voice. "Come in." Firestar said. When Lelouch walked in, he noticed that Jayfeather was there as well. _Jayfeather's here too. I wonder why._ Lelouch thought.

"Lelouch, don't worry, you aren't in any sort of trouble. We just have realized that you are _the one_." _The one? What's he talking about?_ "You probably don't know what I mean but I can explain it to you. You see, Jayfeather has received a message from StarClan saying that you have the power to help not only our clan, but all the others as well." Firestar explained.

"By power, you mean my Geass, right?" Lelouch asked.

"Precisely. With the power to control anyone, you could bring peace to the clans once again." Firestar answered. "You wouldn't mind testing your Geass on one of us, would you?" Firestar added.

"You're that psyched about Geass, huh? Well then…" Lelouch scanned the room and locked eyes with Brambleclaw.

"Whoa…um…you're not going to hurt me…right?" The deputy asked, a bit frightened.

"Of course not." Lelouch's eyes became encompassed with Geass and Brambleclaw was a bit petrified by his gaze. "I, Lelouch Vi Britannia command you to go out and fetch Graystripe, Dovewing, and Lionblaze their breakfast. You should bring an extra warrior too." When Lelouch was done with his command Brambleclaw's amber eyes now had a red ring around them.

"Yes I shall. Is there anything specific that your friends would want?" Brambleclaw asked.

"No, anything will do." Lelouch answered. With that, Brambleclaw was off. Sandstorm and Firestar looked at Lelouch, wide eyed.

"What, you wanted to see my Geass, and you did. Anything else?"

"No…that will be all. You can return to the warrior's den now." Firestar told him. "Oh and Lelouch, we know that this was your destiny. Not every day does a miracle like this happen. Just know that we _will_ need you sometime soon, and when that time comes, I'm sure you'll know what to do." Lelouch gave the clan leader a nod before he walked down to the Warriors' den to talk to his friends.


	4. Chapter 3 Becoming Part of the Clan

Chapter 3: Becoming Part of the Clan

 _"Good morning Lelouch_. You're up pretty early. "Graystripe greeted his new friend as he approached the warrior's den.

"Don't worry about breakfast today guys, I got it covered." As Lionblaze, Graystripe, and Dovewing looked at him confused, they noticed Brambleclaw with some fresh kill in his mouth and Berrynose alongside him. Berrynose had a vole and a squirrel, while Brambleclaw had a thrush. The two both dropped the food at their paws.

"I'm not sure what you guys did to let this happen, but you've gotta tell me sometime." Berrynose told them before walking around the clan to perform more duties. They watched Brambleclaw shake his head and look at the others.

"What happened?" He looked at the fresh kill in front of the four. "Are all the elders and kits fed already?"

"Brambleclaw, it's okay. Come over here and I'll explain." Firestar called from his den.

"See, I told you I got you guys covered."

"Lelouch, how did you do that? Lionblaze questioned.

"I'm not sure if I'm allowed to tell you, but I have this power called Geass and for a test, I told Brambleclaw to catch you three some food."

"But, there's only three pieces of food, and four of us." Dovewing stated.

"I won't get used to eating that stuff in a while." Lelouch replied.

"C'mon Lelouch, you're gonna need to eat something to live. Here, have a piece of my squirrel." Graystripe offered the squirrel.

"How are you supposed to eat it? It has fur. Won't you choke?" As Lelouch was talking, Graystripe just gobbled his piece of the squirrel in a matter of seconds.

"Nope, but I don't know why though." Graystripe answered with a small laugh. Lelouch started off very slowly, taking what felt like hours to eat his piece.

"Eat your piece already, it's not crowfood y'know" Lionblaze said with a bit of a chuckle. As fast as he could, Lelouch ate his piece. It wasn't bad, but it wasn't good either.

"So…how is it? Graystripe asked.

"It's no pizza, but if I have to live, it'll do." Lelouch declared.

"Pizza? What in the name of StarClan is that?" Dovewing asked.

"Well, pizza is a food from my world. It's a combination of cheese, dough, and tomato sauce. You usually get whatever toppings you want." Lelouch explained, but the other three just looked at him, just like he did when he first came to this world.

"Well it sounds weird, but I'm sure you like it just as much as we love fresh kill." Dovewing said with a smile. "So, what do you want to do now?" Dovewing asked, changing the subject.

"I'm not sure. What do you guys usually do?" Lelouch retorted.

"Train, and take on clan duties. Y'know, placing fresh scent markers and stuff." Lionblaze answered.

"I think I'll stay here and get to know more of the clan." Lelouch said.

"I should stay here with you to keep you company." Graystripe offered.

"It's fine with me, how about you two?" Lelouch looked at the others.

"We're going to see if Firestar needs us to do anything." Lionblaze stated. "Graystripe, make sure to keep him safe if you go out into the forest or anything." Graystripe nodded, and the two headed over to Firestar's den.

"Is there something you two need?" The clan leader asked.

"Firestar, do you have anything that you want us to do?" Lionblaze asked.

"Actually, I do. You two can go on border patrol with Sandstorm, Brackenfur, and Rosepetal." Firestar informed the two.

"We're on it." The two said. They both walked up to the ThunderClan entrance and saw the three other border patrol members. "Alright team, let's go!" Brackenfur said in a peppy tone. They traveled all around their territory and saw no signs of any sort of danger.

"So, what do you all think about Lelouch?" Dovewing asked the other three cats.

"He seems okay. I don't have a problem with him." Brackenfur replied.

"I can't really say much since he's only been here for two days, but I'm sure he's nice." Rosepetal stated. "What do you think, Sandstorm?"

"I think he'd be a great addition to the clan if he were to stay. He'd need to learn to fight and hunt, which I'm sure won't be a problem." _Other than that, his Geass would be really helpful too._

"Maybe Dovewing and I can help train him."

"That would be a blessing. He'd be learning from one of the clan's greatest fighters." Rosepetal told him.

"She's got a point, y'know." Dovewing added. "I don't think you'd need my help when training him. I'd love to watch though."

"Maybe you two can train him tomorrow. I'll tell Firestar about the idea when we get back." Sandstorm said.

"I'd appreciate it. Let's just hope Lelouch will as well." Lionblaze said with a small laugh.

The five cats patrolled all around their clan's border, not sensing any sign of danger from the other clans. Once they completed their task, they made their way back to the ThunderClan camp.

"Come to think of it: Sandstorm, why don't you ask Firestar if I can train Lelouch today?" Lionblaze suggested. "I mean, that is if we're not busy or anything."

"Of course. I'm sure you'll be able to." She responded.

"Just try not to kill him Lionblaze, okay?" Brackenfur joked.

"He's got a point, y'know. You looked like you were about to when we first met him." Dovewing reminded him.

"Hey, I was trying to protect the clan, that's all!" He said, a small blush of embarrassment forming on his face, causing the other cats to laugh.

When they arrived back at the camp, Lionblaze and Dovewing followed Sandstorm back into her and Firestar's den. Firestar was speaking with Jayfeather about something, but once they both heard pawsteps, they turned their attention to the den's entrance.

"How were the borders?"

"They're fine. We didn't see any cats, nor did we sense WindClan or ShadowClan trying to expand their territory." Sandstorm responded. "Oh, and I was wondering if it was okay for Lionblaze and Dovewing to help train Lelouch in hunting and combat today."

"I'm not sure. I don't think he'll really need to be in combat if he uses his Geass." Firestar responded.

"Um…I hope you don't mind me asking, but what is this Geass power that Lelouch has? He was talking about it before we went on patrol, but he didn't explain it." Dovewing stated.

"Lelouch's Geass allows him to control anyone via eye contact." Jayfeather explained.

"So he's just like you, me, and Dovewing then, huh?"

"Pretty much." Jayfeather turned his head to face Firestar. "If you don't mind me saying it, but I agree with Sandstorm on training Lelouch. If the enemy ever figures out about his power, they'll immediately try to kill him, so it would be beneficial if he knew some sort of self-defense."

"I suppose you do have a point. Very well then. Dovewing and Lionblaze, please train Lelouch for today." The two nodded their heads in thanks and headed over to the warriors' den where they found Lelouch talking with Ivypool. The two looked over once they saw their shadows.

"Oh, hey you two. What's up?"

"Where's Graystripe? I thought he was supposed to keep you company." Lionblaze said, looking around the clan.

"He's out hunting with some of the others. Ivypool over here replaced him for me." Ivypool looked at the two with a smile.

"I was glad to keep you company, Lelouch. You're a really nice cat."

"So are you. You're really brave too, Ivypool. I can't imagine doing what you do in your dreams." He responded, causing her to blush a bit. "Anyway, did you two need me for something?"

"We asked Firestar, and he said it would be beneficial if we gave you some combat training." Dovewing said.

"Combat training? I'm not the most physical type of cat…but if the clan leader told me to, I should probably do it." Lelouch got up on his paws. "Ivypool, would you like to come with us?"

"I would, but the clan might need some cats for something. You never know." She replied. "Thanks for offering though." Lelouch gave her a quick smile before leaving towards the clearing with Dovewing and Lionblaze. As they were walking, Dovewing moved so that Lelouch was between her and Lionblaze.

"So…you like my sister, don't you?" Dovewing asked Lelouch, and she noticed a small blush appear on his face.

"I mean, she's nice, but I don't like her the way you're talking about." He responded.

"I think she likes you in that way though."

"Really? We only really talked today. I don't think feelings develop that quickly."

"You'd be surprised. Love's one of those tricky emotions in our lives." Lionblaze told him.

"Aren't you supposed to be the fighting expert here?" Dovewing said jokingly.

"Well yeah, but Cinderheart and I have been through a lot, and we both know how love has a weird way of working." He responded. "You should know. Don't you and Bumblestripe have something special?" He could sense the strong blush on Dovewing's face. "Oh wait, was it you and Tigerheart?"

"No, no, no! Stop teasing me about that!" She shook her head, the blush on her face growing even brighter, causing Lelouch let out a small laugh. He loved seeing how these two friends acted towards each other, and he was glad that he was now friends with them. _It may not be a human world, but friends are friends no matter what._ They reached an area of the forest that looked like a battlefield with some trees scattered around it.

"Okay Lelouch, for now I'm just going to teach you some basic moves. The first is called the Front Paw Blow. All you need to do is bring your front paw down as hard as you can on your opponent's head to try and daze them, like so." Lionblaze quickly brought his front paw down, Lelouch being able to hear the wind whistle behind it. "Notice how my claws are sheathed. Only in a really dire situation would you use this move with your claws out."

"Okay, so like this?" Lelouch brought his right forepaw down as fast and hard as he could.

"Exactly. Now this next one is called the Front Paw Strike or the Forepaw Slash. Unlike the previous move, you don't aim for the head. With your claws out, you aim for the face or the body."

"So, basically like the Front Paw Blow, but I can aim anywhere with my claws unsheathed?"

"Yup. Now…" Lionblaze leaped towards Lelouch and pinned him to the ground. Dovewing let out a small gasp. Lionblaze was one of the best fighters she knew, so even when training, she felt a bit scared, knowing what he could do. "You'll be in situations like this a lot, and you have two options. You can either play dead, or use a Belly Rake. When playing dead, just go limp, and then once you feel their grip begin to release, get back to your paws to push them off. Playing dead takes a bit of time to master despite it sounding easy. If they don't land a blow to you, they won't really believe it."

"Gotcha. What about the Belly Rake?" Lelouch asked, still pinned to the ground.

"Right. If you're able to move your paws, just aim for the opponent's belly and slash it. They'll get off, and you're back to having the upper hand." He explained. "Is this uncomfortable for you? I should get off." Lionblaze let Lelouch back up. "You can also use the Half-Turn Belly Rake while standing on your paws. All you do is roll under your opponent, scratch their belly, and then come back up. Here, try it on me." Lelouch nodded. He got onto the ground, rolled under Lionblaze, slightly touched his belly with his paw, and rolled back on the other side of him.

"How was that?"

"It was okay, but you might need to do it a bit faster. Try again." Lelouch did it again, but Lionblaze shook his head.

"I'm not the most physical cat." He apologized.

"Lionblaze, we shouldn't push him too hard. He understands how the move works, so maybe we should move on and work on other moves." Dovewing suggested.

"Right, I'm sorry. Just know that the process of the Half Turn Belly Rake is similar to the Duck and Twist. All you do for the Duck and Twist is twist, roll onto your back, and get back on your paws. It's mainly for defense."

"Got it."

"Good. Now one of the other final basic moves is the Teeth Grip. All you do is grab onto your opponent's legs, tail, scruff, or ears with your teeth, leaving your paws free to inflict any damage." He explained. "Dovewing, do you mind having a bit of a practice fight with Lelouch?"

"What? M-me? I don't know. What if one of us gets hurt?"

"It's a practice fight. None of you use your claws, and if you bite, don't bite hard."

"Well okay then." Dovewing and Lionblaze swapped places.

"Don't worry Dovewing, I won't hurt you, I promise. If I do, just tell me, and I'll stop." Lelouch told her, causing her to blush a bit.

"The same goes for you too."

"Alright you two, start!" Dovewing made the first move, running towards Lelouch. Once she was close enough, she pounced towards him, but Lelouch used the Duck and Twist to move out of the way. Since Dovewing knew that Lelouch wasn't quick enough to get on his paws, she ran back towards him and smacked his side with a paw, knocking him down.

"C'mon Lelouch, you can do better than that." She taunted. She allowed him to get up, and he could see a bit of irritation in his eyes. _Maybe teasing him wasn't the best idea._ She thought, getting back into a fighting stance. Once he got up, Lelouch wasted no time in running towards Dovewing. She did the same, but as they got closer to each other, she watched as Lelouch disappeared from her view, but then felt a paw brush through her belly. She turned around to see Lelouch quickly get back on his paws. Dovewing ran towards him again, and this time he didn't try rolling onto the ground again. She swiped a paw downwards towards his head when she got close, causing Lelouch to step back, Dovewing's paw only now touching the tip on his nose. She kept repeating the same maneuver, alternating between her two front paws, hoping to get him tired of dodging. Lelouch could tell that was her goal, and it was working, her paw strikes landing closer and closer to the center of the top of his head. Since it was just training, it didn't hurt much, but it began building up a bit. Once he saw that her attacks began slowing down, he took the opportunity to jump towards her and pin her to the ground.

"Looks like I got you." He told her with a small grin. When she looked at his face, she looked away, a bit flustered.

"Why are you looking at me like that? This isn't over yet." She told him before kicking him off with her hind paws. Lelouch's body flipped over Dovewing's, his head landing right under hers. With that, Dovewing rolled back to her feet and pinned Lelouch's forepaws and hindpaws. "Now it's over." She told him, letting out a sweet smile. Dovewing got off of him and helped him up. "I didn't hurt you, did I?" She asked.

"I'm fine. You're okay too, right?"

"Yup." She responded with a nod. "I thought I may have hit you too much on the head. Are you sure you're fine?"

"Yeah. It just hurts a bit, but I'm not dying or anything." Dovewing let out a small laugh.

"Alright you two, that was great. Lelouch, that's your first taste of combat. That's a bit of how battle works between clans, but one key to note is this: we're not going to battle to kill cats purposefully."

"Right. Like I usually say: the only ones who should kill are those prepared to be killed." He stated, using one of the quotes he loved.

"Exactly. I'm sure you picked that one up back in your world." Lelouch nodded his head, and then the others heard his stomach growl.

"Did you not pick up anything from the fresh-kill pile when we were gone?" Dovewing asked, and Lelouch shook his head.

"I know I was fine with the squirrel and all…but I guess I'm a bit nervous to try anything else." He admitted.

"That's okay. Why don't we go hunting for a bit before we go back?" Lionblaze suggested.

"I'm sure the clan would appreciate it, and it's not like Lelouch can't hunt either. It's almost like fighting, but easier." Dovewing stated.

"Alright then, let's go." Lionblaze led the two a bit deeper into the forest where prey was a bit more abundant. The two native cats sniffed the air, sensing prey around the area.

"Lelouch, there's a mouse over there." Dovewing told him, pointing towards the nearby tree the mouse was next to. "Being a ThunderClan cat, we're great at keeping quiet and staking our prey, so you have to be good at it."

"Got it." Lelouch pressed his body close to the forest floor and slowly approached the mouse. Once he got closer, he moved slower, and when he was in jumping range he coiled his hindlegs back and leaped towards the mouse, catching it between his front paws. He watched it struggle and sunk his teeth into it, causing the mouse to fall limp. He picked it up and looked back at the two. "How was that?" He asked, his mouth muffled by the fresh-kill.

"That was great, especially for your first try!" Dovewing told him.

"I just did what seemed natural. I've seen cats hunt before back in Japan." He explained, placing the mouse down.

"Interesting. There are cats back where you're from?" Lionblaze asked, and he nodded.

"Usually they're pets that people have."

"Wait…people?" Dovewing said with a bit of confusion. "By pets you must mean kittypets…so by people you must mean Twolegs then, right?"

"Yeah, that's what we call them, and that's what I was before I got here."

"So let me get this straight: You're a Twoleg who died…and because you're immortal you can't die and were brought into this world as a cat?" Lionblaze said, and Lelouch nodded.

"Correct, but I'm not sure why I wasn't brought here as a human if they exist here, but I don't mind actually. Being a cat's pretty neat."

"Well…that's a bit weird, but being from a different world is weird in itself." Dovewing said. "Just know that knowing that you're a Twoleg won't change how we look at you at all…well at least it won't change my opinion on you, but I'm not sure about Lionblaze."

"Dovewing, it's fine with me. Actually, I find it a bit cool because now we're able to learn a bit more about them and their terminology." Lionblaze replied. "Anyway, we should get hunting now. We have some mouths to feed."

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

After about twenty minutes of hunting, Lionblaze, Lelouch, and Dovewing made their way back to the ThunderClan camp. Since they were only three cats, they couldn't carry back all their fresh-kill, so they put it in the ground so they could pick it up later on. When they returned, they were greeted by Firestar.

"So, how did Lelouch's training go?" He asked.

"It went well. He's also a good hunter now too." Dovewing told him.

"Is that so?"

"Yup. We caught more, but we couldn't carry it all by ourselves." Lionblaze stated.

"Very well then. Put the prey in the fresh-kill pile and bring the rest back please." The three nodded and made their way towards the camp exit. "Wait. Lionblaze, Dovewing, you two stay here while Lelouch and I go get the rest of the prey."

"But…the clan needs a leader." Dovewing responded.

"Brambleclaw will be in charge while I'm gone." He answered sternly. Lionblaze didn't add on, and the two walked over to the warriors' den, while Firestar approached Lelouch. "You remember where you buried the fresh-kill, right?" Lelouch nodded. "Very well, lead the way." Lelouch moved in front of the ThunderClan leader to guide him to where the fresh-kill was. He knew that Firestar wanted to talk to him about something, but he wasn't really sure what.

"Is there something you wanted to talk to me about?" Lelouch asked him as they were walking.

"Yes. Lelouch, the clans are getting prepared for one of the greatest battles yet. Not with each other, but with the fallen cats who reside in the Dark Forest."

"Dark…Forest?" Lelouch stopped in his tracks and turned to face him. "Is this the reason why I've been brought here?"

"StarClan works in mysterious ways. I'm positive though that it's the reason why."

"I understand. I hope you know that I have no intention on not helping your clan out. I'm thankful for what you've done for me ever since I got here."

"It's no trouble at all. Speaking of which, do you know when you'll be leaving us?" Lelouch shook his head.

"That's up to my companion I'm pretty sure. She works sort of like this StarClan you speak of."

"I see. Just know that when the time comes, we're your allies and we'll do our best to keep you from getting hurt."

"That won't be necessary."

"How so?"

"Back in my world, I stole the immortality that my father had, and when I died, I was brought back here."

"Still, that means you'll leave this world, doesn't it?"

"I'm not entirely sure. It is the most likely outcome if I do, but I don't want any of you dying for someone who can't die. I rather have my blood spill than any of yours." Firestar let out a small smile. _He almost reminds me of myself._

"Even though you've only been here for two days, I can tell that you'd be a very valiant warrior, Lelouch, maybe even a leader."

"That position isn't unheard of for me, actually." He said, resuming their walk towards the buried prey.

"Is that so? Well you express it really well then."

"Thank you. I'm sure you do as well. Everyone in your clan really seems to respect you."

"I'm grateful for it all, especially since I was born a kittypet."

"Really? I would never have noticed." Lelouch remembered the conversation he had with Lionblaze and Dovewing and realized that he never told Firestar that he was originally a human. "I know that this may sound weird…but back in my world, I was a human…a Twoleg, as I've been told you call them."

"That's surreal, but since I was a kittypet before, I'm a bit fond for Twolegs. I know that they don't mean any harm. I'm sure you were a good one, as well."

"That's all a matter of perspective." Lelouch stopped to sniff the air. "It should be right here." Next to a tree, Lelouch began to dig a bit until he saw the wing of a blackbird. He picked it up and continued digging, revealing the vole and a rabbit. Firestar picked up the other two.

"Let's get back to the clan." He told Lelouch, his voice muffled by the fresh-kill.

The two cats walked back into camp and placed the prey on the fresh-kill pile. Lelouch saw Firestar bow his head and close his eyes, which he guessed meant that he was praying to StarClan about the food. Once he opened his eyes, he looked over at Lelouch.

"I don't think I have any sort of assignment for you. If you need anything, don't hesitate to ask me."

"Thanks for the offer, I appreciate it." Firestar let out a small smile before heading back over to his den. Lelouch walked over to the warriors' den to meet up with Lionblaze, Graystripe, Dovewing, and the other warriors.

"Hi Lelouch. You weren't in trouble, were you?" Dovewing asked, and Lelouch shook his head. "That's good to hear. Oh I almost forgot. Lionblaze over here wants to introduce you to his 'love'." She teased, causing him to blush.

"Anyway Lelouch, this is Cinderheart."

"Lionblaze told me a lot about you while you were gone. It's nice to meet you." She greeted him.

"It's nice to meet you as well. I'm sure you're a hard-working warrior if Lionblaze and you are a couple." A blush rose on her face.

"I wouldn't say I work as hard as he does, but thank you."

"So, what do you all usually do now when there's no work to do?" Lelouch wondered.

"Whatever we want. Later on at night some of us go on patrols, but for now, we're just resting." Lionblaze told him. "Actually, why don't we tell you some stories about the clans to keep you well informed?"

"Why don't you tell him about Onestar?" Dovewing suggested. "He's WindClan's leader, but we don't get along with him much."

"Why's that?" Lelouch asked.

"Well that's why we're going to tell you stories, silly." Cinderheart said with a small laugh. "Lionblaze, do you mind telling him about Onestar?"

"Sure. It's not really much of a story, it's more like a bunch of faults that he's committed. He's stolen fish from RiverClan territory, and has accused Firestar and all of ThunderClan for treason, saying that we've walked onto WindClan territory and stuff like that."

"Do you think he's just trying to help his clan survive?"

"Well, for those faults it sounds like it, but when I was still an apprentice, Onestar issued an invasion into ThunderClan territory, believing that we think that we're the best clan. He did it apparently to show that WindClan wasn't weak and that they could take as much territory as they pleased."

"I see. His actions are similar to ones I've witnessed. Taking territory regardless of asking and just using sheer force."

"If you think Onestar's bad, trust me, there's worse." Dovewing told him.

"Before that…can any of you tell me about…the Dark Forest?"

"My sister can. I'll go get her quick." Dovewing left the den in search of her sister.

"How do you know about it?" Lionblaze asked.

"Firestar told me. He said that there's going to be a huge battle between them and the clans, and that's why I was brought here." He replied. Dovewing walked back into the warriors' den with Ivypool behind her.

"Lelouch, Dovewing told me that you wanted to know about the Dark Forest?" He nodded. "Remember this morning when I told you about doing reconnaissance in my dreams?"

"Yeah."

"Well, the Dark Forest is where I go. The things I told you are all about the Dark Forest. I didn't want to tell you directly since I wasn't sure if I was allowed to, but because you know about it, it should be fine."

"So…cats from all the other clans are being trained…to kill their own clan members?" Ivypool nodded.

"Yes. To think that I did it originally out of being jealous of Dovewing…" Her sister looked at her, a hint of sadness in her gaze. "But I've spent enough time there and have no intention of going back. It's horrible there. All the wounds I've sustained from being there could still be felt even when I woke up, and even if you died while dreaming, you'd die in real life."

"Really? You never told me that. You're really much braver than I thought, Ivypool. Risking your life in that crucial of a situation deserves some sort of praise. I'm glad to see that you're actually okay if you had to go through that much." A small blush covered her face.

"Lionblaze, Jayfeather, Cinderheart and my sister give me enough praise for my actions, and I really appreciate yours as well, Lelouch." She responded. "All I know is that a battle is eventually going to happen between the clans and the Dark Forest cats. We all have to be prepared every day."

"Don't worry Ivypool, Lionblaze taught Lelouch how to fight today, so we should all be fine." Dovewing assured her.

"That's good to know. Just be safe, especially you, Lelouch, since you're new to this world and all."

"I promise that I will."

"Good. Well, I should get going now. I'll see you all soon." Once Ivypool left, Cinderheart looked over at Lelouch.

"Ivypool likes you, I just know it." She told him.

"Dovewing said the exact same thing earlier today."

"Because it's true! By the way you were talking to her, don't act like you don't have at least a bit of feelings towards her." A small blush rose on his face.

"I mean, she's really nice."

"Aw…you do like her, don't you?" Cinderheart teased, and Lelouch shook his head.

"I never said that!"

"You kinda did." Lionblaze added, and Lelouch let out a sigh.

"Whatever. Any more stories you want to tell me?"

"Oh, I have one about Ivypool in mind." Dovewing said jokingly, and Lelouch let out a small growl, causing the other three to laugh.

After about three hours of telling Lelouch various stories, the moon filled the sky, telling the cats that it was time to go get some rest. Like last night, Lelouch slept in the vicinity of Lionblaze, Graystripe and Dovewing, but tonight, Ivypool and Cinderheart joined them.

"At least none of us were picked for night duty. I'm really tired." Dovewing stated.

"Same." Lionblaze agreed. "Well, we should go and get some rest. We never know what could happen tomorrow." The others all agreed, and slowly began to fall asleep.


	5. Chapter 4 Dreams and Reality

Chapter 4: Dreams and Reality

"Attack. WindClan is attacking!" Dovewing announced throughout the Clan.

"Why would WindClan attack at a time like this? What did we do wrong?" Firestar asked himself.

"I'm not sure, but we have to warn everyone." Lionblaze replied. He ran over to the warriors' den and saw that Lelouch was still asleep. "Lelouch, wake up!" Lionblaze meowed as loud as he could, waking the black cat up.

"Lionblaze what's wrong?" Lelouch asked.

"WindClan is attacking! Remember when I said you never know what could happen tomorrow? This is the sort of thing I was hinting at." He told him. "Lelouch, I think it's time to put that Geass of yours into effect." Lionblaze recommended.

"I agree." Firestar said from behind Lionblaze. "Lelouch, if you don't mind, why don't you command those flea pelts to do something so they go away?" Firestar ordered.

"I will, but I should use my Geass as a last resort. If you don't mind, Firestar, let me set up groups first." _Great, I'll feel like Zero again. There's no way that these WindClan cats can out-maneuver me._ Lelouch thought.

"Okay Lelouch, you do what you need to do." Firestar said, exiting the warriors' den. Lelouch walked out from the warriors' den, looking for every warrior ThunderClan got.

"Alright everyone listen up. I need you all to separate in groups of two. Those who wish to defend the Clan from the inside go to my left, and those who wish to defend the Clan from the forest to my right." Lelouch ordered. Lucky for him, the warriors all split into almost equal groups: fourteen were guarding the clan, while the other thirteen offered to go into battle. "Okay now I want the ones to my left to stay how they are, and to my right, I want you to divide into four groups of three. Dovewing, you lead two of the groups, while Lionblaze, you lead the other two." Lelouch stated.

Lionblaze went on leading the two groups of Berrynose, Cinderheart, Dustpelt, Whitewing, Foxleap, and Brambleclaw, while Dovewing led the groups of Mousewhisker, Bumblestripe, Rosepetal, Ivypool, Graystripe, and Birchfall. "Firestar, I want you to lead and protect the rest of the Clan." Lelouch requested.

"Who do I look like, a kit? Of course I'll protect my Clan with all my Warrior spirit." Firestar replied. With that, Lelouch let out his first command into battle, "ThunderClan, I Lelouch Vi Britannia command you, fight for your Clan, fight for justice!" With that, the two groups moved out into the forest while Lelouch stayed perched atop a tree. "Dovewing, I want your group to stay back here. Your group will be here in case any WindClan cats break through the front line." Lelouch ordered.

Lionblaze's force trekked through the forest. "Lionblaze, you're close friends with Lelouch so far right?" Cinderheart asked.

"Yeah. Why?" Lionblaze answered back.

"I'm not sure if this plan will succeed or not, I'm just worried that's all. I'm sure if he's your friend then he has to be trustworthy." Cinderheart answered.

"Well, well, well, it looks like ThunderClan has decreased in size" Onestar appeared right in front of the patrol.

"Why are you here Onestar?" Lionblaze asked fiercely.

"One of your so called 'warriors' has crossed into our territory and we're sick of it. We're here to show Firestar a lesson about controlling a Clan." Onestar answered, and the WindClan cats agreed.

"Lelouch, Lionblaze has confronted with WindClan. Onestar is there as well!" Dovewing informed.

 _Can she hear them from that far? I haven't heard anything, but why shouldn't I trust her?_ "Okay Dovewing. I want you to lead the way." Lelouch commanded, making his way down from the tree. After about five minutes of walking, they reached a lone WindClan patrol. "Now, I want you all to split into groups of 3 and make a flanking maneuver around WindClan. Do this with about a thirty pawstep distance away from them quietly." Lelouch ordered. _Just as I thought, these WindClan cats lack the basic strategy of attack, which is why I'll have them in checkmate._ Lelouch thought. He got atop a tree branch to watch the fighting unfold.

"Lionblaze, your puny force is no match for WindClan!" Onestar taunted.

"That's where you're wrong, Onestar." Onestar looked around, the voice sounding unfamiliar to him.

"Who said that?" All of the WindClan warriors were confused.

"ThunderClan, Attack!" Lelouch commanded. With that, Lionblaze's force charged forward.

"Ha, does ThunderClan ever learn?" Onestar said. Then, all of a sudden, Dovewing's force attacked from the left and back of WindClan. _What's going on here?! Where'd the rest of them come from?_ Onestar thought as his warriors were fiercely fighting the ThunderClan warriors that now surrounded them on all sides. _Onestar, you had more warriors, but we had the element of surprise, which destroys anything in its path. That is my checkmate that shall seal your fate._ Lelouch thought. In about five minutes, most of WindClan's warriors were defeated and fled back to their territory. If you saw Onestar, you'd think that he lost a live in this small confrontation. He was beaten and scratched all over, blood seeping out of his wounds. "Alright WindClan, retreat!" Onestar commanded, but the ThunderClan warriors behind him stood their ground.

Lelouch came down from the tree he was atop of and confronted Onestar face to face. "So you're Onestar? A pity that such good warriors have such an unstrategic leader."

"Who in the name of StarClan are you?" Onestar demanded.

"My name is Lelouch Vi Britannia, I am the eldest son of Empress Marianne, the prince who was abandoned by his empire in his world. Now I walk with ThunderClan with a vow to stop any injustice brought into this territory." Lelouch answered.

"A simple cat brought in by ThunderClan defeated my Clan? I can't go on with this burden, I won't!" Onestar lunged at Lelouch, but was attacked by Lionblaze and knocked to the ground.

"We are ThunderClan! We fight for the justice of not just ourselves, but for every Clan." Lionblaze announced.

"Correct Lionblaze, I see that you're catching on." Lelouch told him with a grin. Lelouch walked up to Onestar, who lied on the ground after that attack from Lionblaze. "Command all your warriors to leave the area now, or I'll be forced to take your life." Lelouch told Onestar.

"Silly kittypet, do you not know that I have more than one live?" Onestar told him.

"Taking all of your lives will be just as easy as taking one." Lelouch threatened.

"Whatever you say won't scare me. My warriors will stay be my side for as long as I tell them." Onestar said.

"Well then, I guess it's time for your warriors to learn a little lesson." Lelouch gazed at all the warriors and they looked at him back.

"WindClan, listen up. Your leader has fallen to ThunderClan, and none of you can fight. If you know what's best for you, leave, now."

"Why should we? Some of us still have some fight in us!" A WindClan warrior lunged towards Ivypool, knocking her to the ground.

"Ivypool!" Lelouch was about to make his way towards her, but Lionblaze ran and knocked the warrior off of her.

"Lelouch, go help Dovewing!" Lionblaze told him. Lelouch quickly turned around and saw that Dovewing was in the same predicament her sister was in. He quickly rushed towards her and sunk his claws into the side of the WindClan warrior. He looked into his eyes once he was pinned down.

"Go back to your clan!" He commanded. Once he used his Geass, he got off of him and watched as he left back to his territory. "Dovewing, are you alright?"

"Yeah, no thanks to you. I'm just a bit scratched is all." Lelouch let out a small smile, glad that his friend was alright. _A persistent bunch, but they seem to be put in place now._ He thought, looking at the fear instilled in their faces. _Perfect. I now have them all in check and soon Onestar will fall into checkmate. This game was mine for the taking ever since the beginning._ Lelouch thought. "Now I'll ask you again, leave ThunderClan territory and return to your camp!" He commanded, only using fear to control them. He watched them all retreat and leave their beaten leader on ThunderClan territory.

"Let me ask you something, Onestar: Suppose there is an evil that justice cannot bring down. What would you do? Would you taint your hands with evil to destroy evil? Or would you carry out your own justice and succumb to that evil?" Lelouch asked Onestar, again utilizing a phrase he used back in his world.

"I only seek peace for my Clan, nobody else!" Onestar answered.

"Yes, but forcing your good intentions on others is no different from an evil act. You make choices for your own selfish ways, just like my father. You make it so that your Clan seeks peace for only itself, which is why I, Lelouch Vi Britannia command you, die!" Lelouch ordered. With that, Onestar unsheathed his claws and sunk them deep into his stomach. Blood trickled down his stomach as he gasped in the sheer pain of committing suicide.

"Lelouch you have to stop! We don't want to kill him!" Lionblaze meowed as most of the cats just flinched at the sight of this mass chaos. Lelouch watched the sight, not looking at Lionblaze.

"We're fighting for justice. You can't change the world without getting your paws dirty." Lelouch answered. Onestar at the moment had his whole two paws and his stomach covered in the dark red substance. The amount of blood was so massive that Lelouch's own paws were stained with it. In about one final breath, Onestar was dead, losing every single life he had left. Lionblaze was just lost in thought at this scene. _Lelouch did something for justice, but why do I have this sudden urge to kill him? Justice doesn't need to be achieved by spilling blood. No, it's just all in your head. Calm down Lionblaze calm down._ Lionblaze thought.

"Okay ThunderClan, let's go back to camp. No one speak to Firestar about this. It's my burden to do." Lelouch announced as the cats walked back to ThunderClan. _Did I crave this feeling of leadership? Of bloodshed? Is this all I needed to do to feel like Zero again?_

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

"Lelouch, wake up!" Lionblaze urged. Lelouch's violet eyes slowly opened.

"L-Lionblaze?" Lelouch responded. _It was all a dream. That battle, I swear it felt real._

"You are quite a sleeper. So, are you ready clan duties today?"

"I guess I'm up for it." Lelouch answered, walking out of the warriors' den with him. As they walked, Lelouch asked about Onestar. "Lionblaze, is Onestar really that bad of a cat?"

"You still got that story in your mind from yesterday huh?" Lelouch nodded. "Well believe it or not, he and Firestar were great friends moons ago, but then I guess power got the best of him." _I wouldn't blame him._ As they were talking, Brambleclaw approached the two. "Lionblaze, Firestar wants you to bring Lelouch into his den." He told him.

"Alright, we'll be there right away." As the two made their way to Firestar's den they noticed that all the warriors were getting ready for something. When they arrived, Firestar was there, along with Sandstorm, Dovewing, and Jayfeather.

"I'm glad that you two could make it. I have an announcement to make that may shock you." Firestar began to walk around his den. "The Dark Forest cats are attacking the Clans tonight." Firestar announced. "I wanted you all here so that I could inform you about a prophecy that I have received." Firestar went on, "Lelouch, you already know it, but some of the others here don't." He announced. "StarClan sent me a message telling me that a cat from a faraway land will come and aid the Clan." Firestar said.

"So that's what you and Lelouch were talking about yesterday, right?" Dovewing stated, and the leader nodded.

"Of course. Were you eavesdropping on us, Dovewing?" Firestar asked. "Right, that brings me to my next point. Lelouch, this point only has to do with you." He pointed at Jayfeather, Lionblaze, and Dovewing. "These three cats have powers, much like you do."

"I can never lose in battle" Lionblaze told him.

"I bear the power to walk into any cat's dreams and sense their thoughts." Jayfeather added.

"I… I can hear any noise from faraway." Dovewing said shyly.

"That explains why you were able to hear WindClan in my dream, Dovewing." Lelouch told her.

"Aw, you were dreaming of her?" Sandstorm teased, causing the two to blush.

"It might have been a small sign from StarClan, you never know." Firestar stated. "Anyway, Lelouch, tonight I want you out there with the other warriors, myself included. I don't want you risking your life because none of us know what will happen if you die."

"The same goes for you. If you die Firestar, that's it for all of us, I can't let you go into battle, especially with your final life." Sandstorm meowed in a sad tone.

"Sandstorm, this is for the best, my warriors have only one life, and they are willing to give it up for their Clanmates. I'm no different. My place is beside them."

"This is why I fell in love with you. Such a brave cat. I love you Firestar." Sandstorm stated.

"I love you too, and even if I die today, I will always love you forever and ever." Lelouch smiled at the mindset that both he and Firestar shared. _Firestar really does remind me of myself. He goes by the rule: If the king does not lead, how can he expect his subordinates to follow?_ "Now tonight, I want each of you to be safe and prevent as many casualties as you can. Protect each other at all costs." He told them before walking out of his den.

"Lelouch…when Firestar says that you can't die in this battle, it's because you might not be revived back into this world, right?" Dovewing asked him.

"Yes. If I could, I'd make sure to die as much times as I could if it meant saving any of the warriors in this clan." He responded.

"Also, if you don't mind me asking, what was your dream about last night?"

"Apparently ThunderClan was under attack by WindClan, and I led the group to defeat them and ended up killing Onestar. I knew what everyone looked like, despite never seeing any WindClan cat ever, and Dovewing was even able to use her enhanced hearing and I knew nothing of it."

"It seems like it was a small dream brought by StarClan…but why would they have you kill Onestar?" Lionblaze wondered. "Oh…maybe it's because of the story I told you yesterday. They mixed their own plan with your intentions for justice and caused you to have that dream."

"Can StarClan do that?" Lelouch asked. "Wait…Jayfeather, you said that you could walk into cat's dreams, so…are you able to manipulate them as well?"

"I can take part in them, but not manipulate them. I didn't tread into your dream last night if that's what you're asking." He told him. "We should get back to work. We need to be prepared for the battle tonight."

"Right. C'mon you two, let's go." Lionblaze told Dovewing and Lelouch. As the three walked out of the den, Ivypool walked over to the three.

"Lionblaze, Firestar told me that you, Dovewing, Hollyleaf and Jayfeather need to go see Leafpool, Brambleclaw and Squirrelflight." She told him, and he let out a small groan before going over to the medicine cat's den.

"What's up with him?" Lelouch asked the sisters.

"Lionblaze, Jayfeather, and Hollyleaf were both raised by Squirrelflight and Brambleclaw, but Leafpool's their actual mother." Dovewing explained.

"Why'd she not raise them herself?"

"Because she broke two warrior codes by having them. Her mate is from another clan, and when she had them, she was a medicine cat, and they aren't allowed to have kits." Ivypool told him.

"I see. Did they ever forgive any of them? From the irritation I saw, I guess not." The two nodded. They saw the three siblings walking together towards them.

"Alright, where are they Ivypool?"

"Over at the entrance to the camp." They all made their way to the camp entrance and saw the three cats that Firestar ordered them to tell their prophecy about. Once they arrived, Brambleclaw spoke.

"Firestar told us that you four have a destiny that you need to fulfill." Lelouch and Ivypool took a few pawsteps back once they heard Lionblaze let out a small growl.

"Why should any of you deserve to know?! All you've done is lie to us three!" He shouted. Dovewing took the opportunity to speak for them all.

"Firestar had a prophecy a while ago that said that three kits would be born with the power of the stars in their paws."

"So, you three?" Brambleclaw gazed at Hollyleaf, Jayfeather, and Lionblaze.

"Not me. It's Dovewing." Hollyleaf answered. "These three are going to be the saviors of the clans.

"You three knew and never told us?" Brambleclaw looked over at Squirrelflight. "Did you know? Was this all because I'm not actually their father?!"

"No, that's not it at all!" She quickly responded, fear in her voice.

"Nobody knew except Firestar and the four of us."

"Why didn't you tell any of us? We could have helped you with the burden you all carried on your paws." Leafpool told them. Just hearing her voice finally caused Lionblaze to snap.

"Well we wouldn't have had this burden if you never broken the warrior code in the first place!" Leafpool let out a small gasp, her eyes beginning to shine with tears.

"Lionblaze, that's enough!" Lelouch yelled at him. Lionblaze turned around and met Lelouch's gaze, anger still in his eyes. "I may not know the anger you feel, but it doesn't change the fact that I know that these three love you and your siblings with all their heart. Leafpool risked a lot to have you, and don't you think she was hurt knowing that her sister got to raise you three instead of her?"

"Lelouch is right. Brambleclaw and Squirrelflight may not have been your real parents, but that doesn't change the fact that they cared for you as much as Leafpool would have." Ivypool added. They noticed Lionblaze's anger slowly fade away, and he let out a small cough.

"I…was just so proud to be your son. You're one of the greatest warriors I know." He told Brambleclaw.

"I was grateful to be able to care for you three as my own. I know that none of this is your fault."

"Because it's all my fault." Leafpool said quietly. "Don't blame Squirrelflight or Brambleclaw. They were just helping me because they cared so much about me. Lelouch is right when he said that we love you three with all our heart, no matter what." The whole family now embraced in a sort of group hug, showing their love for one another.

"Hey, nice use of words, Lelouch." Dovewing told him, getting his attention with a small nudge.

"It was nothing. I just said what needed to be said, that's all." She let out a small smile at his response.

"We should be getting prepared for tonight. Leafpool, why don't you and Jayfeather go out to look for some herbs?" Squirrelflight suggested.

"Okay. Jayfeather, do you mind?" Her son shook his head, causing her to smile.

"Be safe you two." Lionblaze told them. He watched as the two cats made their way into the forest. "We should try to find out how we can help prepare the clan." The others agreed, and walked around the clan, looking for work.

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

"Lelouch, Lionblaze, Dovewing, Firestar wants to see you in his den." Brambleclaw told the three. They were taking a bit of a break from working since Brightheart just had her three kits, the exciting news now traveling around the clan. They walked into Firestar's den and saw Jayfeather there as well.

"Good to see you three could make it." He told them.

"You two, remember how there's supposedly a fourth cat that's a part of the prophecy?" Jayfeather stated, and Lionblaze and Dovewing nodded. "Well I found out that Firestar's the fourth cat."

"Dovewing, you did say that we needed to look for a cat born with a special destiny." Lionblaze told her.

"Yeah, and Firestar's the perfect fit." She responded. "Wait…so Lelouch isn't the fourth cat in the prophecy?" Firestar shook his head.

"He isn't, but he is part of his own prophecy which goes paw in paw with the one we're all a part of." He responded. "You four, I need you to come with me to the island to meet up with the other medicine cats and leaders. We've been through a lot, and with the Dark Forest cats approaching, we need to unite the clans." The four nodded. "Good. Let's get going then."

The five cats made their way towards the island where Gatherings were held every moon. They could see that all the other leaders and medicine cats were there from a distance. When the five arrived, they didn't receive a greeting.

"Who's this cat?" The ShadowClan leader, Blackstar, asked, pointing a claw towards Lelouch.

"This is Lelouch, a cat from a world different from ours." Firestar answered. "StarClan told me that he'd come to help aid our clans in our time of need, and with the Dark Forest cats invading, I'm sure that time is now."

"Then how about these two? Why'd you bring them along as well?" Onestar asked.

"Because moons ago, StarClan told me that the kin of my kin would hold the power of the stars in their paws, and each of them have a power." He responded. "Lionblaze can't be defeated in battle, Dovewing has enhanced hearing, and Jayfeather can walk through dreams and know your thoughts."

"So Dovewing, you have the ability to spy on our clans?" RiveClan's leader, Mistystar, accused.

"I would never do that."

"Just what I'd expect to hear from a ThunderClan cat." Blackstar added.

"That's not the point of all this! They were given powers to save our clans!" Littlecloud, ShadowClan's medicine cat interjected.

"Dovewing, are you able to hear the Dark Forest from here?" Willowshine, RiverClan's medicine cat apprentice asked her.

"I've never tried before…" Dovewing closed her eyes, and her ears pointed upward as high as they could. The cats stayed silent, watching Dovewing concentrate. "I've reached them!" She stated. "They're training…training to destroy and kill every single clan cat." She continued to concentrate, trying to get as much information as possible.

"She found Brokenstar. He's talking to the other Dark Forest cats." Jayfeather stated.

"How do you know?" Onestar asked.

"I can see her thoughts, remember?"

"What's he saying?" Lelouch asked her.

"Killing the clan cats will just be fun…but killing StarClan will be the ultimate revenge." She quoted the Dark Forest cat word by word."

"Alright Dovewing, that's enough." She let out a small breath and opened her eyes. She looked at the other leaders who just looked at her in awe.

"How do we stop them?" Onestar asked.

"We fight and make sure they're the ones that all perish in battle." Firestar responded.

"Perfect. They'll be in our territory and won't know where to go."

"Not exactly. They've been taking patrols around all our territories to find ambush points."

"Which explains all the scents that you've found on your territory. They also have some Clan cats along with them as well." Lionblaze informed them. The three other leaders looked at him in shock.

"None of my cats would ever work with them!" Mistystar stated in disbelief. "Dovewing, were you able to pick any of them out?"

"N-no…"

"Tell us! We must punish whoever they are!" Blackstar declared.

"No. They believe that they are training for their clan, not training against them. They haven't betrayed us yet, so there's no point in harming them." Firestar stated.

"Besides, Brokenstar's threatened to kill any cat who defects, so they may be staying out of fear." Lionblaze added.

"Well, what can we do about it?" Mistystar asked.

"All four clans must join forces. If you all work together you'll be able to defeat them. Uniting against the Dark Forest is the clan's key to victory." Lelouch stated.

"You're new warrior brings up a fine point." Mistystar said. "Very well, RiverClan will join ThunderClan against the Dark Forest."

"As will WindClan." Onestar told him.

"ShadowClan shall join as well." Blackstar said, although he didn't sound as sure as the other leaders. Jayfeather joined the other medicine cats, who all looked at each other in joy.

"StarClan must be happy about all of this." Jayfeather told them, and the others nodded.

"We must be prepared tonight because that's when the Dark Forest will strike. We don't know where, however, so we all need to be on guard." Firestar told the other leaders. "We'll all form a patrol in each territory made up of cats from all clans." The other leaders agreed.

"Messengers should be utilized as well to share news and offer help if necessary." Blackstar stated.

"The two quickest cats shall be the messengers." Firestar added.

"And they should only be used to deliver messages." Onestar stated, and the other leaders nodded their heads in agreement.

"Perfect, now go home and prepare for battle. Remember that none of us are alone in this fight." Firestar reminded them before they left. "Come, we should get going now." Firestar, Jayfeather, Lionblaze, and Lelouch began to follow the other cats.

"Dovewing, aren't you coming?" She looked over at Lelouch.

"I'll be right there!" She called out at him. Lelouch pressed his body down close to the grass to stay hidden. _Something's up with her._ He told himself. Suddenly, he watched as Dovewing ran across the forest clearing and leaped into a patch of ferns. _What the?_ His body still pressed to the ground, Lelouch slowly creeped closer to the patch of ferns, making sure he didn't make a sound. Once he was close enough, he was able to hear the voice of a tom.

"Did you really hear the Dark Forest?" The voice asked her.

"Of course I did, Tigerheart. I told you about it before." She responded. _Tigerheart…he's the cat Lionblaze teased Dovewing about._

"I know, but it just looked amazing."

"What are you doing!?" Lelouch heard the shock in Dovewing's voice and jumped into the ferns, joining the two cats in the area behind them. "Lelouch, what are you doing here?"

"He's not hurting you, is he?" Lelouch asked her.

"No, everything's fine!" She responded, a bit of anger in her voice. "You didn't answer my question: What're you doing here?"

"I knew that something was bothering you while we were leaving, so I hid myself so you wouldn't notice me." He responded.

"Can't you just leave us alone? I'll meet you back at camp." She told him.

"Is there…something between you two?" Tigerheart asked. They noticed the sorrow in his voice.

"There's nothing between us at all, I promise!" Dovewing told him.

"How do I not know you're lying to me? You did try to get away from me before." He responded. "Why don't you understand that I love you Dovewing, and I care about you so much!"

"Because now's not the time for any of this!"

"How about afterwards? What then?" He softly said, crestfallen.

"I belong to ThunderClan and you belong to ShadowClan…that's all there is to it." Her response sounded cold. Tigerheart hit the ground with a forepaw.

"You're giving me up that easily!?"

"This isn't easy for me at all! You're worried about us, when you know more than most how bad everything else is!" Her gaze touched his one last time before she turned around and ran for ThunderClan territory.

"Dovewing!" The two toms called out.

"I'll make sure she's safe for you. You should get back to ShadowClan." Lelouch told him.

"Thanks…"Tigerheart muttered before Lelouch ran to catch up to Dovewing. He followed her scent until she found her body lying on the forested floor in ThunderClan territory.

"Dovewing, are you okay?" He asked her once he was near her body. He could hear that she was crying.

"Why doesn't he understand? It's not that I don't love him back…it's just…"

"It's okay. Just give him some time and he'll understand. I'm sure after this whole Dark Forest dilemma you'll both be fine."

"But that's the problem! I know you don't know this, but…Tigerheart is one of the cats that trains in the Dark Forest." Lelouch let out a small gasp.

"I'm sure he won't try to hurt you, Dovewing. If he really loves you, he wouldn't."

"I'm not worried about me…Lelouch…I'm worried about you." Lelouch's eyes widened a bit at her response.

"Me? Why?"

"Because you're my friend, and after what happened, I think Tigerheart believes that there's something between us."

"Dovewing, the same reasoning applies here. He knows that we're friends, well, he might think that we're more than that, but still, if he hurts me, he'll be hurting the cat he loves the most by doing so. I'm sure he won't try to lay a paw on me."

"Really?"

"I'm positive." Dovewing got up to her paws, and unexpectedly, she brushed her muzzle on Lelouch's cheek, causing him to blush. "D-Dovewing?"

"Thanks for everything, Lelouch, you really know everything right to say." Once she realized what she was doing, she quickly moved her face away, a strong blush now on her face. "Sorry, sorry! I just…forget about it."

"Um…you don't think Tigerheart followed me, do you?"

"I don't think so. I don't smell any ShadowClan cats around." She told him. "We should get going back. They're probably looking for us."

"Why don't you use your power to check?" Dovewing let out a small giggle, and the two headed back to ThunderClan.

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

Dovewing and Lelouch walked through the ThunderClan entrance, and once Lionblaze saw the two, he ran towards them.

"There you guys are! Weren't you both following us when we were walking back to ThunderClan?"

"Sorry Lionblaze. We were talking for a bit and didn't keep track with where we were going." Lelouch lied.

"Well, I guess all that really matters is that you both are safe."

"Firestar isn't mad, is he?" Lelouch asked.

"I'm pretty sure he was just a bit worried, that's all. He did ask the hunting patrol he just sent out to try and look for you both when they had the chance." He responded. "Ivypool was probably the most worried."

"Lelouch! Dovewing!" Immediately when Lionblaze said her name, Ivypool came running towards them. "I was worried about you both! Where were you?"

"In the forest. We got a bit lost, but here we are now." Lelouch told her.

"Well thank StarClan you both are back safe. Actually, Dovewing, can we talk?"

"Oh…um, sure. Lionblaze, does the clan need any work to be done?"

"Not that I know of. Some cats are just training to be prepared for tonight." Lionblaze responded. "I'm sure it's fine if you both talk. Actually, while you do that, why don't you train a bit with me, Lelouch?" He nodded, and the two toms went off to train.

"So, what did you want to talk about?" Dovewing asked her sister.

"Is there something between you and Lelouch?" Ivypool stated, causing her sister to become flustered.

"What makes you say that?"

"Well, you both were together when you made your way back here after being 'lost'." Dovewing's face grew even warmer.

"Oh yeah? Well how about you? I think, no, I _know_ you like him." Now Ivypool began to blush. "We were talking about you actually."

"Did he say anything good about me?" Dovewing let out a small laugh.

"I lied. You really do like him, don't you?" Ivypool knew that her sister was onto her, so she nodded her head.

"He's just so kind. Do you think he knows that I like him?"

"I mean, I've teased him about it, but if it makes you feel any better, he did say that you were nice."

"You're not lying about that, are you?"

"Nope. Ask Cinderheart and Lionblaze, they were there." She responded. "Is that all you were concerned about, Ivypool?"

"Yeah…" She replied, a bit embarrassed. "I don't even know why I'm thinking about it right now. We're facing the Dark Forest tonight." Dovewing let out a sigh. _If only Tigerheart could realize that…but…_ "Dovewing?"

"Huh? What?"

"You looked a bit off. What really happened before you and Lelouch got here?"

"Tigerheart apparently followed Blackstar and Littlecloud to the meeting we just had. I saw him, but all he could talk about was us. He wasn't like you in knowing that now wasn't the time for talking about it." She told her. "Lelouch was there too. He saw that I was a bit off and followed me, which is why we came back to the clan together."

"Oh. Well just give it till after the battle, and I'm sure he'll come through."

"That's almost exactly what Lelouch told me. Maybe you two are really meant for each other." Ivypool began to blush, and Dovewing let out a small laugh. "Why don't we go get some fresh-kill? We do need our energy for tonight." Ivypool nodded, and the two walked over to the fresh-kill pile, searching for what they wanted to eat.

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

"Great job, Lelouch. Your speed's improved a bit." Lionblaze told him as he dodged the attacks that Lelouch was sending out to him. Lelouch stopped to take a small breather.

"Thanks, but don't you think it's a bit unfair that I'm trying to land an attack on a cat who can't lose in battle?"

"Not necessarily. It helps because I won't get hurt, and you'll keep trying to speed up your attacks as you try to hit me, even though you can't."

"A psychological trick. Makes sense."

"I mean, I could let you go up against Cinderheart if you wanted to."

"Why are you trying to drag me into this? I just came to watch you both." The she-cat told him.

"I was just kidding." Lionblaze responded with a small laugh.

"I don't think I could fight her though. I mean, I'm not trying to make it sound weird, but I just don't feel right fighting against a she-cat unless I really have to."

"Is that why you lost against Dovewing yesterday?" Lionblaze asked.

"Aw, do you like Ivypool and her sister too?" Cinderheart teased, causing Lelouch to blush.

"Why do I always have to be teased about love?" The two other cats let out small laughs.

"Well you two did come back to camp together after being 'lost'." The tone in Lionblaze's voice when the word 'lost' came out told Lelouch that he knew that wasn't the case. "What really happened, Lelouch?"

"You two know Tigerheart, right?" They both nodded. "Well he was the reason Dovewing stayed behind. I knew something was going on, so I stayed behind and watched her. She saw Tigerheart in a patch of ferns and went over to talk with him."

"I see. Then what happened?" Cinderheart asked.

"I shouldn't say. It's nothing bad, but it's a bit personal to Dovewing, so she should tell you if she wants to."

"I guess that makes sense. They do really like each other."

"Yeah, it did seem that way." Lelouch told her. "So, is there any more training we should be doing right now?"

"We've been training for quite a bit. I think you'll be ready for tonight." Lionblaze told him. "Just remember that the main thing you need to keep in your head is this: survive."


	6. Chapter 5 The Last Hope

Chapter 5: The Last Hope

Darkness fell throughout the forest, the moon illuminating the night sky. The four Clans were now prepared for the battle against the treacherous Dark Forest cats. Over in ThunderClan, Firestar watched over his clan as they prepared for battle. Over in the Medicine Cat's den, Jayfeather and Leafpool were working together sorting herbs when they suddenly heard Cloudtail yell as he ran into camp.

"Birchfall, Blossomfall, and Mousewhisker are gone! We couldn't find them anywhere!" _They're in the Dark Forest. Dovewing!_ Jayfeather stormed out of the den and sniffed the air to find Dovewing. _Found her!_ He rushed towards her, and she looked at him in surprise.

"Find them! Use your hearing to find where they are!"

"I know, I know." Dovewing closed her eyes and began to search for the three cats.

"Don't worry you three; Brokenstar will tell us when to attack." She heard Blossomfall's voice and broke away from her concentration.

"Where's Ivypool? She can bring them back. She needs to!"

"There's no time right now. They're on their own." Dovewing let out a small growl as Jayfeather walked back over to his den. _Ivypool, where are you?_ Dovewing sniffed the air, and when she found her scent, she ran towards it. It led her to the apprentices' den, and she saw Ivypool in her nest while Lelouch watched over her.

"Dovewing, Ivypool's trying to go into the Dark Forest to find the three missing cats." He told her.

"They know she's a spy, they'll kill…" Dovewing flinched at the sounds of the Dark Forest.

"Are you alright?" He walked over to her side, and she nodded.

"Only the strong will remain…" She repeated the key focus that the Dark Forest cats were currently talking about. "Death to the Clans…" Lightning cracked in the night sky, Dovewing letting out a small gasp of fear. After the sudden sound of thunder, Dovewing heard a multitude of pawsteps coming closer. "Lelouch, they're coming!" Immediately, Dovewing tried to wake her sister up, and once she did, she let out a growl.

"Dovewing, I was just about to dream!"

"There's no time. The Dark Forest is approaching now! We have to tell Firestar!" Ivypool, Dovewing, and Lelouch made their way towards their clan leader and saw that ShadowClan warriors had just entered the camp.

"There you three are." Lionblaze said as they joined him and Firestar in greeting the three cats.

"Oakfur, Smokefoot, Snowbird, it's good to see you." Firestar greeted them.

"They're coming, Firestar!" Dovewing quickly told him.

"The Dark Forest cats?" Dovewing nodded.

"I can't tell where they're coming from!"

"Wait…do you all hear that?" Lelouch asked. They all stopped and heard the sound of paws getting closer and closer.

"There's no time to lose. Sorreltail, Thornclaw, Spiderleg, make your way to ShadowClan, now! Whitewing, Berrynose, Hazeltail, go to WindClan! Foxleap, Toadstep, Rosepetal, go to RiverClan!" Firestar watched as his warriors ran as fast as they could towards their assigned territory. He then saw Cherrypaw and Molepaw run up to him. "Cherrypaw, go to ShadowClan, and Molepaw, go to WindClan, then RiverClan. Make sure you both bring them as much news as you can. I have faith in you two warriors." The two apprentices gleamed at their leader's unofficial dubbing of their new roles and made their way to their mother, Poppyfrost, before heading out. "Brambleclaw, are the elders, queens, and kits safe?"

"Yes, Firestar."

"Good. We need to meet them outside. I need you to stay in the camp. Pick your patrol members." Brambleclaw nodded and looked over at Squirrelflight, who nodded her head, causing him to smile. He then picked Cinderheart, Leafpool, Bumblestripe, Dustpelt, and Graystripe.

"No, I need Graystripe to stay with me." Firestar looked at his oldest friend in the clan. He wanted him to be there if he fell in battle or if it happened the other way around. "Lionblaze, Dovewing, Cloudtail, Snowbird, Lelouch, Ivypool, you all follow me."

"Firestar, I know we talked about this yesterday, but please…your Clan needs you, especially now." Sandstorm told him.

"I know they do, which is why I'm going out there. If I don't lead, how can I expect them to follow?" Firestar shot a small look back at Lelouch, and he let out a small smile.

"Okay…but be safe. I love you."

"I love you too." Firestar turned his gaze to Brambleclaw. "Make sure to keep Sandstorm, my daughters, and the rest of the clan safe." Brambleclaw nodded. "Alright, let's get going." Firestar's patrol began to leave, and as they did, Dovewing saw that Lelouch didn't move, but instead began looking around. _Why's he…Ivypool!_ Dovewing ran over to him and he looked at her.

"Where's Ivypool?"

"I don't know, that's why I'm looking for her." Lelouch responded. "Tell Firestar that I'll stay here."

"But he ordered you to come follow us."

"I know, but I'm positive that you all are amazing fighters and will be able to manage without me." Dovewing looked into his eyes. She could sense the same glare of leadership and courage that Firestar had.

"Okay then." She made her way towards the exit of the camp.

"Dovewing, wait!" She turned around and walked back towards Lelouch. "Make sure you stay safe, okay?"

"I will." With that, she ran to keep up with Firestar's patrol.

"Alright everyone, make sure to fight with all your warrior spirit. I know this battle won't be our last, but make sure to fight as if it was!" Brambleclaw told the cats. He saw Lelouch's black pelt and walked over to him. "Lelouch, aren't you supposed to be with Firestar?"

"I know…but I have to look for Ivypool. She's not here." Brambleclaw looked around, and then sniffed the air.

"You're right, but I can't let you go out on your own. That's suicide."

"I know, but I can at least try to use my Geass if I encounter any Dark Forest cats."

"I understand that, but…where would you even start looking for her?" Lelouch opened his mouth, but even he didn't know the answer to that question. "Just stay here with us for a while, and then we can try and look for her, okay? I can tell she means a lot to you." Lelouch nodded, and walked around the clans, looking into each den to make sure everyone in them was safe, and to look for Ivypool. He saw no sign of her, so he stood near Brambleclaw, awaiting any further action.

Ten minutes later, Lelouch and Brambleclaw heard the first sounds of battle outside of the camp.

"We need help!" Squirrelflight called out. Brambleclaw pointed his tail at Leafpool, Cinderheart, and Dustpelt, and motioned them to go out to the ThunderClan entrance. Brambleclaw followed them, and so did Lelouch. Once they got there, Lelouch met his first glimpse of Dark Forest cats. Their fur was everywhere, and their menacing stature and gleaming eyes sent a bit of fear through him, but he knew he had to be strong. More began to join the other Dark Forest cats, but suddenly, Firestar's patrol jumped out to join their other clanmates. Once Firestar ran towards the Dark Forest warriors, all the others did as well. Lelouch jumped into the fray, biting down hard onto one of the enemy cat's neck, and made sure to get off once some of the other cats noticed him. The taste of blood stained his tongue, but he knew he had to continue. He ran towards one of the cats, claws unsheathed, and clawed at his side. The other cat retaliated, landing a blow on Lelouch's face, a scratch now running down his cheek.

"Dark Forest cats made it into the camp!" Lionblaze yelled.

"Cinderheart! Dustpelt! Graystripe! Go follow Lionblaze and help the camp! We're fine here." Firestar commanded as he kicked a Dark Forest cat away. Lelouch's ears twitched when he heard pawsteps from the slope nearby and saw other cats.

"That's the WindClan and RiverClan reinforcements!" Dovewing stated with a bit of joy.

"Go into the camp!" Firestar told them. Outside of the camp, the Dark Forest group declined in size, some of the other cats enduring the battle inside of the camp. Lelouch continued his fight with one of the cats until a glimpse of orange crossed his gaze. He saw that Firestar had leaped onto the cat and clawed at his stomach. Lelouch then saw Dark Forest cats from inside the camp begin to run back into the forest, and so did the cats outside the camp. Once they did, Firestar looked over at Lelouch. "You okay?"

"Yeah, just a small scratch is all." He responded. They both walked back into the camp, and Lelouch saw how battle-scarred and bloodied some of the cats were.

"Cloudtail! Pebblefoot! Dustpelt! Get to the Medicine Cat's den!" He stated, the three cats looking the worse out of everyone else. Firestar scanned the camp, looking for any more severely injured cats. Pawsteps were heard from the slope of the camp and they saw Stoatpaw, ShadowClan's messenger.

"Blackstar's losing a life! We need help!"

"Lionblaze, Graystripe, go to ShadowClan!" He demanded. "Smokefoot, your patrol should go with them. Your clans needs you more than we do." The group set off as quick as they could to aid the troubled clan.

"Look at this place…it's ruined." Lelouch stated, the clan destroyed after the skirmish.

"I know, but we can rebuild, that's not a problem." Firestar told him. "Aren't you supposed to be looking for Ivypool?" Lelouch looked at the leader.

"Sorry about breaking formation. As a leader before, I know something like that is irritating." Firestar shook his head.

"It's no trouble. I know that she's your friend and you care about her." He told him. "I'm here with the clan now. You should go try and look for her." Firestar closed his eyes, and turned around. "Her scent's faint, but she went that way." He pointed his tail east of the camp. "Stay safe, Lelouch."

"I will." Before Lelouch set out, he looked for Dovewing around the camp. Once he saw her, he walked over to her.

"Lelouch, are you okay?"

"Yeah, I'm fine. I'm going out to find Ivypool now."

"Let me go with you! She's my sister!"

"Firestar needs you here with him. You're the only one here able to keep the clan updated about the Dark Forest."

"And _you're_ the only one here with Geass. Lelouch, we need you here too." He shook his head.

"You're more important than me. Just stay here and keep ThunderClan safe. I promise that I'll bring Ivypool back." Dovewing's eyes began to shine, and she pressed her cheek against his and intertwined their tails.

"Thank you, Lelouch…" Lelouch broke away from the sudden embrace and began running east, Dovewing watching him until he left her sight.

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

Lelouch ran through the forest, following the faint trail of Ivypool as best as he could. Thunder cracked in the air, and he could feel small droplets of rain now begin to coat his fur. _Ivypool, where are you?_ He wondered, looking around.

"ThunderClan's this way. Let's finish off those clan cats already." Lelouch came to a halt once he heard the voices of who he assumed to be Dark Forest cats. Luckily they were on the other side of the bracken next to him.

"Hold on…I smell ThunderClan cat." Another voice said. _Oh no…_ Lelouch's heart began to race. "It's nearby too."

"I smell it too, but it might just be a scent marker. C'mon, let's keep moving." Lelouch heard their pawsteps walk away from him and he let out a sigh of relief. _That was close._ He told himself before resuming his chase for Ivypool. Every single twist and turn made him wonder where Ivypool was even trying to go. Along the way, Lelouch could smell the scent of various cats now that were unfamiliar to him, causing him to worry. He reached the end of the forest and looked at the huge moor that he now stood on.

 _The scent keeps going…but this land is so vast and open it'll be impossible for me to get through without getting caught._ He could see a river nearby, and beyond that were hills. Despite being discouraged, Lelouch remembered the promise he made to Dovewing and made his way towards the hills. _Even if I do get caught, I can just use my Geass anyway._ He assured himself as he ran towards the river. He picked up speed and gracefully jumped to the other side, something he wouldn't have ever imagined doing due to his weak physique. He was surprised that even after that he wasn't fatigued. He guessed it was because of his new form, but he knew now wasn't the time to ponder on that thought. He reached the hills and when he smelled the air, the different scents he smelled before were even stronger.

"Get off of her!" Lelouch's ears poked up when he heard the voice. _Hollyleaf?_ It came from the hills, and it was faint, but nonetheless it still helped him figure out where some cats were. He was sure Ivypool was somewhere there, so he ran up the hills. From the hilltop, he could see a camp that looked similar to ThunderClan's, and on the outer part of it he saw a group of cats fighting. He rushed towards them and once he was close he noticed a silver and white tabby she-cat fighting two other cats.

"Ivypool!" He yelled out her name, causing her to turn to see the large gray tom behind her. Before he could lay a paw on her, Lelouch jumped and tackled the cat to the ground, furiously clawing at his belly. Blood splattered his claws and his black coat, but he continued until he finally landed the killing blow on his neck. Lelouch watched as the Dark Forest cat now disappeared from under his paws, and he looked over at Ivypool. The cat she was fighting ended up escaping.

"Lelouch…" She was at a loss for words. Ivypool didn't expect Lelouch to appear at all. She ran over to him and cried on his coat. "Where'd you come from? I was…so scared…"

"I know. I promised your sister I'd bring you back." He told her. The two looked over at Hollyleaf, her fur covered in her own blood.

"Lelouch…thanks for…helping…Ivypool…" She failed to keep her balance and she fell to the ground.

"Hollyleaf!" The two cats ran to her side and they saw the deep wound on her neck, blood continuously flowing from it. "Lelouch, she's dying! We have to get her back to ThunderClan!"

"We'll carry her together." Lelouch carefully pulled up half of her body on his back, and Ivypool took the other half. Once they had her, they began making their way towards ThunderClan. "Why'd you leave the camp?"

"I went to find Birchfall, Blossomfall, and Mousewhisker. I needed to make sure they were safe." She replied. "How'd you end up finding me? Just knowing that you're here makes me worry about what you needed to do."

"I followed your scent as best as I could and it led me here. This is a different clan's territory, isn't it?"

"It's WindClan's." She responded. "We should go a bit faster. We can't let Hollyleaf die, we just can't!" They quickened their pace towards ThunderClan until they saw a tabby pelt jump out of the gorse nearby and walk towards them.

"Ivypool, let me help!" They both saw that it was Tigerheart, and Ivypool could feel Lelouch's uneasiness.

"Lelouch it's okay. He was training with the Dark Forest for the same reason I was." She explained.

"I apologize." He told him, and Tigerheart got between the two.

"Yeah, yeah, I know, but what matters is that we get Hollyleaf back to ThunderClan. It's the least I can do for Dovewing's sister and her friend." He told them with a grin.

"Right. Let's get going."

Ivypool, Lelouch, and Tigerheart made it to the ThunderClan border, the camp in sight. They pushed on until they saw the barrier of the camp. As they were walking, they saw Dovewing jump out of a hole in the thorn wall surrounding the camp.

"Jayfeather, Leafpool, it's Hollyleaf! She's hurt!" She called out before making her way towards them. "Ivypool, you're not hurt, are you?" She looked at all the cats and saw some wounds on Ivypool, but Hollyleaf was the only one critically injured.

"We're fine…but…Hollyleaf…" Firestar ran out to the cats, Jayfeather behind him.

"I'll bring her inside. Tigerheart, do you mind helping?" The ShadowClan warrior shook his head, and the ThunderClan leader took Ivypool and Lelouch's spot and brought the critically injured warrior into the camp.

"What happened to you all?" Dovewing asked.

"Hollyleaf…she saved me." Ivypool told her sister.

"If only I got there quicker…maybe things would've been different. Hollyleaf might still be fine." Lelouch told them, turning his gaze to the ground.

"You did the best you could, Lelouch, and you did help me when I was fighting." Ivypool assured him, pressing her coat close to his. Without a word, Lelouch walked back into the camp, leaving the two sisters saddened by his mood. Lelouch made his way into the medicine cat's den and looked at Leafpool mourning over her daughter. Both Squirrelflight and Brambleclaw were there as well, along with Jayfeather, who was helping tend to her wounds.

"Hollyleaf please, everything's going to be alright!" Her mother told her, tears streaming down her eyes. Lelouch let out a small growl and looked at Hollyleaf.

"Hollyleaf, look at me, please." Her gaze turned to his and he activated his Geass. "Hollyleaf…you have to live…please…" He commanded her. A red ring formed around her eyes, but she was still too weak to do anything. Despair hit Lelouch, the state Hollyleaf was in reminiscent of how Shirley was when she died.

"How is she?" Ivypool asked, entering the medicine cat's den with Dovewing. Jayfeather simply shook his head. "She can't be! She's the reason I was able to live. She saved me from Hawkfrost." Hearing that name pricked Brambleclaw like thorns.

"Hawkfrost…did this?" Brambleclaw stated.

"Hawkfrost…" The name escaped Lelouch's mouth coldly. He didn't even know that cat, but he knew that he was going to be the next one to die at his paws.

"The Dark Forest has reached the woods." Dovewing told them.

"Right. Everyone, prepare for attack!" Firestar demanded.

"Hollyleaf, Hollyleaf!" Leafpool shook her daughter, but there was no response. Her head fell onto the moss she was on and her eyes closed.

"She lost too much blood from her wound. We couldn't do anything." Jayfeather's paws shook at the thought of his dead sister on the floor in front of him.

"She's dead...I…" Lelouch turned his head to the ground and let out a deep breath before walking out of the den.

"Lelouch, wait!" Ivypool followed him outside of the den. Once she caught up to him, she could see the dirt below him absorb the tears falling out of his eyes. "Lelouch…"

"The prophecy wasn't talking about me, I know it."

"What are you talking about? You're the one who can bring peace to the clans."

"How, Ivypool?!" He yelled at her. "I couldn't arrive in time to save Hollyleaf. What makes you think I'll be able to help anyone else? Back in my world I was a savior…but here, I'm nothing but another ordinary cat."

"Lelouch, that's not true. Over the past few days you've learned how to train to fight like a warrior, and you also have your Geass as well, you just haven't had the opportunity to use it. I believe that you're the savior we'll need. Firestar knows it, Dovewing knows it, Lionblaze knows it, heck, all of ThunderClan has faith in you." Lelouch looked over at her and pressed his forehead on her cheek.

"Ivypool…thank you." He told her.

"It's no trouble at all. Now c'mon, the Dark Forest cats are approaching. We need to fight them for the sake of the clans." Lelouch nodded his head.

"Right." The two joined Firestar and the other cats and they watched as the Dark Forest cats began to pour into the camp.

"Lelouch, you guard the nursery!" Firestar told him.

"He's just one cat. Someone should help him!" Bumblestripe stated before getting tackled to the ground.

"Don't worry, I'm on it!" Lelouch ran over to the den and looked back at the queens.

"Lelouch, if you need help, just remember we're warriors too." Brightheart told him, and he let out a grin.

"I'll make sure no Dark Forest cat comes near any of you or your kits." Lelouch watched as a group of four Dark Forest cats walked up to him.

"Move out of the way if you know what's good for you." A brown and black tabby warned him.

"No, you'll all leave this clan right now!" He stared into their eyes and once they fell into his Geass, he knew that he already defeated them. They turned around and immediately left ThunderClan, leaving some of their Dark Forest allies confused. _They're lucky I spared their lives._ He told himself. He watched as the other cats were fighting and saw that no other cat was approaching the den.

"I'll make sure to keep my eyes open towards here. If you need any help, don't hesitate to yell." Lelouch told the queens, and they nodded. He ran towards Cinderheart, Ivypool, and Dovewing, who were being pushed towards the medicine cat's den by Dark Forest cats. He tackled one of the many onto the ground which helped prompt the three she-cats to fight as well. As Lelouch pinned one of the cats to the ground, he knew that at least one or two more would try to help, so he immediately jumped off and turned around to see two other cats approach him. He ran towards one of the two and quickly swiped at his face, cutting the cat's nose. Lelouch was about to look at the other one, but he already tackled him and pinned him to the ground.

"The Dark Forest cats will rule the forest!" He told him, applying greater pressure on Lelouch's shoulders.

"Never! I was told I needed to protect the clans, and I'll make sure I live up to it!" Lelouch placed his hindpaws on the cat's stomach and kicked him off. Once he did, he looked at the cat whose nose he just injured. "I'll let you go now, or else I'll make sure you're lying on the floor, waiting to fade away."

"You think your taunts scare me? You're easily outnumbered!" Lelouch felt claws dig deep into his shoulder, causing him to cry out in pain. He slowly looked back to see that it was the first cat he tackled. He kicked him back with his hind legs and watched as the crimson substance now covered his coat. "I'll be the one to make you fade away, right now!" He leaped towards Lelouch, but he quickly ducked down to dodge it. He then quickly turned around and slashed the cat's hind legs, causing him to lose his balance and fall to the ground. Lelouch then pounced onto the cat and sunk his teeth deep into his throat. Once he heard the sound of bone snap, he watched as the cat faded away.

"Lelouch!" Dovewing called his name, and he turned to see the cat that injured his shoulder standing right behind him. Dovewing ran towards the cat and leaped straight for his throat, digging her claws into it as she sent him down to the ground. Lelouch looked around for the other cat he was fighting, but saw that Lionblaze was fighting him. "The cats from ShadowClan are back!" Dovewing said with joy. Lelouch was glad to see that Lionblaze and Graystripe were okay. There were other cats Lelouch saw as well, but he was confused due to the fact that they were transparent.

"Dovewing, who are those other cats?"

"I'm not sure." She then looked over at his injured right shoulder. "Are you okay? Does it hurt?" Dovewing placed a paw on his injury, causing him to flinch a bit.

"I'm fine, Dovewing, it's nothing major." He assured her.

"Hey you two." Lionblaze greeted as he approached the two resting warriors. "Don't worry, they're Ancient cats from before StarClan." He explained.

"Badger!" Blossomfall yelled, alarming the three.

"Midnight!" Firestar greeted her. "Don't worry, she's on our side." He assured the other cats.

"Well, that's a relief. We already have these Dark Forest cats to deal with." He then saw Lelouch's injury. "Lelouch, are you alright?"

"I'm fine. It hurts, but I can manage. I don't want to use up Jayfeather's resources." Lionblaze shook his head.

"Don't hesitate to do so. You're part of ThunderClan now, remember that. You should go in case…" Lionblaze was stopped when a cat tackled him to the ground.

"Breezepelt, no! Why are you following the Dark Forest?" Ivypool called out to the black cat now on top of Lionblaze.

"Who said this had anything to do with them?" He told her before looking back at Lionblaze. "You should never had been born. You may think we're kin, but in my eyes we're not. You see your dead sister over there? You're about to join her!"

"No!" The others watched as a black pelt ran towards the two and tackled Breezepelt off of Lionblaze. "Don't you dare harm him!"

"That's Crowfeather, Lionblaze, Jayfeather, Hollyleaf, and Breezepelt's father." Dovewing told Lelouch.

"So Leafpool had another kit?" Dovewing shook her head.

"He has another mate in WindClan, I think her name's Nightcloud." The two watched as father and son were now in conflict with each other.

"Why do you care about him so much? I knew you hated me!"

"That's not true! Nightcloud's the one who made you think that. I should have done something about you sooner, but it seems like you've chosen the Dark Forest." He unsheathed his claws and raised one paw up, ready to strike Breezepelt. "I wouldn't sink as low as to kill my own kin." He got off of Breezepelt. "Get up, and get out of my sight."

"Crowfeather, I'm so sorry!" Leafpool ran over to him and her former mate shared her embrace.

"He's old enough to make his own choices."

"Do you think it would be different if we stayed together?" He shook his head.

"It was never meant to happen." He saw her saddened expression. "But my ThunderClan warriors…" He looked over at Lionblaze with a smile. "I know for a fact they were." He looked over at Hollyleaf's body, and his sudden smile faded.

"Would you like to go see her?" Leafpool asked, and he nodded, the two walking over to Hollyleaf's lifeless body.

Suddenly, a pelt brushed past Dovewing, causing her to bump into Lelouch. The two looked at the new cats that appeared, and once Dovewing caught a glimpse of a few cats she knew she saw before, she smiled.

"They're past ThunderClan cats who now live in StarClan." She told him.

"Wow…there's no doubt that they're warriors." Lelouch stated, looking at Whitestorm, the towering snowy white tom who stood next to Graystripe. Lelouch watched Dovewing stand up.

"I'm going to help over at the elder's den. You should go see Jayfeather about that shoulder." She told him. He nodded, and she helped him up.

"Thanks." She gave him a small smile before running over to help out Longtail, one of the deceased ThunderClan elders. Lelouch slowly limped over to the medicine cat's den and saw that Jayfeather was with another cat, one of the ones from the Ancient tribes.

"Lelouch, is everything okay?" Jayfeather asked him.

"I injured my shoulder. I mean, it doesn't hurt badly, but Dovewing and Lionblaze insisted that I come and get it checked out." He walked over to the medicine cat and Jayfeather placed a paw on his wound, causing him to flinch. He then looked around and saw no sign of Briarlight. "Where's Briarlight. She's okay, right?"

"She's fine. I told her to hide in the storage." He replied. "Half Moon, do you know what Goldenrod looks like?" The she-cat nodded and grabbed the herb for him. He gave it a sniff to make sure she was right, and once he confirmed it, he placed it in his mouth a chewed it for a bit. He then spat it out onto one of his paws. "Sorry if this is a bit weird. I'm positive they don't do this where you're from." He told Lelouch before placing the poultice on his wound. "Alright, now I need cobwebs."

"Right here. I can do it." Half Moon insisted, carefully placing the cobwebs on top of Lelouch's injured shoulder.

"Thanks you two. Jayfeather, how do you know Half Moon?" Lelouch wondered.

"It's a long story." He responded.

"Jayfeather, I'm going to go back to fight with the cats, okay?" Jayfeather nodded, and Half Moon left the den.

"Lelouch, just rest here for a bit. Like you said, your injury isn't major, so you should be fine." He assured him. The two heard pawsteps, and Lelouch saw that they weren't from any ally cat, and Jayfeather did as well, causing him to let out a snarl.

"If we kill this medicine cat, the others will die from injuries."

"Don't underestimate me, I may be blind, but I…"

"Leave this den right now." Jayfeather heard Lelouch's voice command and he heard the enemy cat's pawsteps walk away from the den.

"I guess that's another way to do it." Jayfeather said with a small laugh.

"Hey, I have to find some way to help. I can't just lie down here and do nothing." He responded.

Ten minutes past, and while Jayfeather was sorting herbs and Lelouch was resting, they heard a sudden scream from the forest.

"No!" They heard the voice yell out.

"That was Firestar." Jayfeather stated.

"Do you think that he's okay?"

"He should be fine." Suddenly, Lelouch's eyes widened and he got up and ran out of the den. "Lelouch, where are you going?"

 _I took my eyes off of the queen's den!_ He told himself, worry filling his mind. Lelouch watched in horror as a Dark Forest tom dragged Ferncloud out of the den by her neck. He stood there, frozen as he dug his fangs into Ferncloud's neck, taking her life away instantly. _No…not another cat…_ Lelouch looked over at the cat, anger flaring in his eyes. Without any hesitation, Lelouch leaped towards the black tom, landing on his back and clawing at the back of his neck.

"You killed her! I'll make sure you never set a paw down in this world ever again!" The cat easily shook Lelouch off, knocking him to the ground near Dovewing's paws.

"Lelouch, are you okay?"

"I'm fine." He quickly got back up and jumped towards the cat again, but this time before he could even touch him, the cat pushed Lelouch away.

"Lelouch, stop!" Firestar called out. "Brokenstar, I'll be the one to take your life."

"Please, when I'm done with you, nothing will be left to go to StarClan!" Firestar ran towards him, but even the ThunderClan leader was tossed to the ground much like Lelouch. "Give it up, none of you will be able to defeat me!"

"That's enough!" From behind Brokenstar, Yellowfang ran towards him and grabbed his throat in between her teeth. Once she heard the crack of bone, she simply dropped his body down and the others watched as it faded away.

"Brokenstar's…dead? Retreat!" Darkstripe, a former ThunderClan cat who now lived within the Dark Forest, yelled. They watched as all of the Dark Forest cats fled from the camp. Moonlight now penetrated through the dark clouds above. Lelouch looked over at Ferncloud's motionless body and his paws began to shake. He walked over to the body near the nursery and saw Amberkit and Dewkit, Brightheart's kits walk up right next to him.

"Why is Ferncloud asleep?" Amberkit asked, causing Lelouch to let out a small gasp.

"She's just tired, silly." Dewkit responded. "Dustpelt will wake her up." The innocence of the kits caused Lelouch's body to shake as his eyes began to glisten.

"Um…Lelouch? Could you wake Ferncloud up?" Amberkit asked, and she watched his body shake and tears fall onto the ground. "Are you cold?" Lelouch heard pawsteps and saw Dustpelt walked over to Ferncloud.

"Ferncloud? Ferncloud!?" Birchfall and Icecloud stood next to him, looking at their mother's dead body. "Get Jayfeather! Someone! Anyone!"

"There's nothing we can do." Firestar walked over to join the cats. "She died protecting the kits from Brokenstar."

"Maybe she'd still be alive if someone was here when we needed him most!" He shot a glare at Firestar.

"It's…my fault…I told the queens that I'd keep an eye on them…and I…I'm sorry, Dustpelt…"

"Sorry? Is that going to bring Ferncloud back? Last thing I remember hearing about you Lelouch is that you're supposed to be a savior to the clans, but you couldn't even save one cat?! How can you save us all? Some savior you are…"

"That's enough, Dustpelt!" Firestar told him, but Lelouch wished he hadn't. He deserved every piece of ridicule and hatred that Dustpelt wanted to dish out to him. _Hollyleaf…and Ferncloud… I could've saved them…_

"No, Firestar…it's okay for him to have hatred towards me. He lost his love, and it's my fault." Lelouch then looked over at Dustpelt. "My apology may not be enough, but I promise that I'll avenge all the lives I failed to save."

"Lelouch, there's no need. The battle's over." Firestar told him.

"Not quite." They saw Brambleclaw walk into the clan with another dark brown tabby tom who looked a bit like him. "I found him trying to run back to the Dark Forest warriors." Out of the crowd, Ivypool leaped towards the cat.

"Hawkfrost! You killed Hollyleaf, you murderer! You liar!" Lelouch looked over at the cat. _He's the one who killed Hollyleaf…_ He then watched as Hawkfrost knocked Ivypool away, but she got back up and charged towards him again.

"He's going to kill her!" Dovewing said, fear in her voice.

"This is her fight. She'll know herself when she's truly defeated." Firestar told her. Lelouch watched as Ivypool jumped towards him and planted both forepaws into his shoulders while he scratched his belly with her hind claws.

"Get off of me!" Hawkfrost tossed her to the ground and kept her there by firmly placing a paw on her spine. "You're the real murderer here. You killed all the trust we had towards you, and I'll make sure you share the same fate that our trust did." He moved his paw onto her head and pressed it onto the ground. "I'll make sure you die in front of your clan, Ivypool."

"No!" Hawkfrost was blindsided and knocked to the ground, Lelouch now holding a firm grip on him. "I won't let any of you Dark Forest cats hurt anyone else!" Lelouch was easily kicked off by Hawkfrost, who looked at him with a growl.

"Lelouch, no!" Ivypool cried out.

"You're not even a clan cat. What makes you think you'll be able to kill me?" Hawkfrost told him.

"All I need to defeat you is knowing that you're the one who killed Hollyleaf."

"And I'll be the one to kill you as well!" Hawkfrost ran towards Lelouch and began to throw a flurry of blows, but Lelouch quickly dodged them and lashed out at Hawkfrost when an opening was presented. _This is just like when I was training with Dovewing. His attacks are slowing down, and I should be able to get him right…now!_ Lelouch leaped towards Hawkfrost and once he had him on the ground he smashed his paws straight down onto his face. Lelouch now took the offensive and watched as Hawkfrost's face became bloodied by every single blow Lelouch landed on him. Hawkfrost did try to fight back, but Lelouch ignored any sense of pain that Hawkfrost sent by clawing at his face.

"I could kill you right now, but you deserve all the suffering you Dark Forest cats gave the clans!" Lelouch moved his claws down towards his belly and wasted no time in furiously clawing at it, causing the cat to let out a howl of pain.

"Enough! Stop, I give up, okay?" Hawkfrost begged for his life.

"No, you made the mistake of tossing your life away when you killed Hollyleaf. I'll make sure your life ends here!" Lelouch swiftly struck his neck and pressed his claws deeper and deeper until he heard his neck snap. He panted for his breath as he watched Hawkfrost's body fade away.

"Lelouch!" Ivypool ran towards him and pressed her muzzle into her coat. "I'm…glad that you're okay." He could feel her tears drop onto his fur.

"I'm glad that you're okay too, Ivypool. I couldn't let him kill you." He told her, pressing his muzzle into her coat as well. "Now the battle's over."

"Not yet." Lelouch let out a gasp and looked over towards the medicine cat's den. "Firestar, I'll make sure your clan dies before I get to you."

"Tigerstar, the battle's over!"

"You think so, kittypet? The Dark Forest is endless, and I'll be the one to lead it all to the clan's demise!" Firestar walked closer to his nemesis.

"You're far from being considered a leader, Tigerstar. You're a coward who lets his Clanmates fight while you watch."

"Warriors live to fight. I give them a reason to do so." He responded. "They all helped me get to this point. They helped me reach you so I could kill you, Firestar! It's all I've ever wanted to do!" He said manically. "After that, I'll send the rest of these 'warriors' to StarClan, and then kill them there!"

"I won't let you lay a single paw on any of my warriors. You'll have to get through me first if you want to do that."

"Just the words I wanted to hear." Tigerstar leaped towards the ThunderClan leader and penetrated his shoulder with his claws. "Ever since you came to ThunderClan I became nothing! Now I finally have the chance to gain the ultimate retribution!" Lelouch watched as Firestar began to get pinned to the ground, and he attempted to jump in and help, but was stopped by Whitestorm.

"I need to help him! I was told to be a savior to the clans! I can't let him die!" He yelled at the white warrior.

"This is Firestar's battle. You've been a part of the fighting before this. That's more than enough to be called a savior." Lelouch looked at the warrior in anger, but then turned his gaze to the ground. _Maybe…maybe this battle isn't where I become the savior. I've already let two cats die, and I'm being told to possibly watch a third one perish as well?_ He looked at the clan leader and saw that he was fighting for more than just his clan, but the whole forest. He shook Tigerstar off, and quickly turned around to land blow after blow onto his skull. Blood now fell from the Dark Forest cat's eyes, but he blinked it all away before successfully leaping and digging his claws into Firestar's neck, causing him to let out a yowl of pain.

"Whitestorm, let Lelouch go in to help him!" Sandstorm urged her, but Sorreltail placed her tail on her shoulder to stop her.

"Please let me go. Are you really going to risk the clans by not letting me save him?" Lelouch asked the white warrior.

"I'm not risking the clans. I know Firestar can beat him." He responded. They all watched as Firestar ripped into Tigerstar's belly and shook him off, his fur being ripped off as well. Firestar, his face and neck bloody, gazed at Tigerheart, who now struggled to get up.

"Your life ends here, Tigerstar!" Running as fast as lightning, Firestar fiercely leaped towards Tigerstar, aiming for his neck. In one final blow, Firestar sunk his teeth deep into his throat. The other cats watched him struggle before his body finally fell limp. His final drops of blood coated Firestar's paws before his body suffered the same fate as all his Dark Forest comrades. A bolt of lightning suddenly struck the tree beside Firestar as he panted for his breath.

"Firestar!" Lelouch yelled out. None of them could see him at all, smoke now blocking their view. Above them, dark clouds began to empty, rain falling down into the clearing and withering away the flames.

"It's…finally over…" Lionblaze stated.

"Firestar!" Sandstorm ran over to where the final battle took place and the others saw Firestar's body lying on the ground. "I told you to be careful. You could still be beside all of us." Her tears now aided the rain pouring down on his body. The other cats joined her and looked at the fallen ThunderClan leader.

"He's…really dead…" Dovewing said, her voice in disbelief.

"He didn't waste his life, though, we all know that for a fact." Brambleclaw stated.

"He's right. Fire will save the Clan. My father's done it so many times." Leafpool added.

"I can't believe this…I know he wasn't my leader, but I'm positive he was a great one." Tigerheart said.

"He really was. Tigerheart, you should go back to your clan now. We won the battle, and we probably couldn't have done it without you." Dovewing told him.

"Thanks. It was great fighting alongside ThunderClan. I'll tell my Clan the news." As he walked away, Bumblestripe pressed his coat against hers, and her face began to warm up.

"We're all okay now. It's good to see that you're safe." He told her. She looked over at him, and then at the other cats. She hesitantly placed her head on his shoulder.

Everyone! The battle's over, and our victory goes to Firestar! May StarClan keep him safe." Brambleclaw told his clanmates.

"I assure you that we will." Bluestar padded beside the ThunderClan cats, and so did others as well. They all surrounded Firestar's body.

"All these cats gave Firestar his nine lives." Jayfeather explained. "Redtail gave Firestar the life of courage. Silverstream gave him a life of loyalty. Brindleface gave him the life of protection. Swiftpaw the life of mentoring. Yellowfang gave him compassion, Lionheart gave him courage, and Runningwind gave him tireless energy, which Firestar used to protect his Clan."

"Even though she isn't in StarClan anymore, Spottedleaf gave him a life of love. And I gave him a life of nobility." Bluestar announced.

"Wait, why isn't Spottedleaf with StarClan anymore?" Lelouch asked.

"She died protecting me." Sandstorm told him, and Lelouch let out a small gasp.

"Lelouch, don't feel like it was your fault that she died." Bluestar assured him, placing her silver tail on his shoulder.

"How…do you know my name?"

"StarClan watches over all the clans. You are a part of ThunderClan, after all." She stated. "I was the one who knew of your prophecy."

"You are?" She nodded. "So…was this fight where I was to become a savior to the clans?" She shook her head.

"I can't say. Do you feel like you've been a savior to the clans?" She asked.

"I don't."

"But Lelouch, you really have been." Dovewing told him, walking over to her side.

"She's right. You've been a big help to the clans." Ivypool added.

"You've been a leader in your past life, so I'm sure you know some casualties are inevitable." Lelouch let out a small gasp and turned around to see Firestar's spirit behind him. "Don't put the blame all on yourself, Lelouch. Look, none of the other cats are angry at you." He looked over and saw the spirits of Hollyleaf, Ferncloud, and Mousefur, who all smiled at him. He saw Mousefur, and guilt flooded over him, Lelouch not knowing the elder died in battle. He then saw all their smiles, and he suddenly felt his regret suddenly leave him. "If you ask any of us, we'll all give you the same answer in saying that you were a savior to the clans." Lelouch's eyes began to glisten, and he nodded his head.

"Thank you, Firestar. I'll continue to help this clan and the others for as long as I'm here." The ThunderClan leader nodded his head.

"Right."

"Come, we must leave now." Bluestar told him. They all walked towards the thorn barrier in the shadows, and the others all watched as they disappeared.

"It's all over…wait…that means…" Sandstorm looked over at Brambleclaw. "Bramblestar!" Brambleclaw looked at her, and then let out a small gasp when he realized the new name he called him by.

"Bramblestar! Bramblestar!" The whole clan cheered for the new leader.

"I promise that I will continue Firestar's legacy and lead this clan to its fullest potential. I know that StarClan, and my clan itself will guide me through everything." He then looked over at Squirrelflight. "Will you be ThunderClan's new deputy?" Squirrelflight looked at him with a bit of shock. "I don't trust any cat more than I trust you."

"I accept. I'll make sure to do this clan, and my father proud." She stated.

"I'm so proud of you, sis!" Leafpool pressed close to her sister's coat. "I can't thank you enough for everything you've done for me."

"If you could maybe let me do it all again?" She said with a small laugh, and she laughed as well. Jayfeather, Lionblaze, and Cinderheart walked over to join Lelouch, Dovewing, and Ivypool.

"Well, we did it. We finally beat the Dark Forest, and we have a new leader and deputy." Cinderheart stated.

"Yeah. When the moon falls, the sun always rises." Jayfeather told them. "Firestar may have died, but we all know he died for his clan, and so did all the other cats." He placed his tail on Lelouch's shoulder, much like Bluestar did, as a way to assure him.

"You fought well, Lelouch." Lionblaze told him.

"Well I was trained by one of the best warriors in the forest." Lionblaze let out a small laugh.

"I don't mean to brag, but it's true." Cinderheart gave him a small shove. "What was that for?"

"Nothing, just wanted to push you." She told him with a smile.

"Well guys, we have a clan to fix." Lionblaze and the others looked towards the clan and saw how badly it looked.

"I'll be in my den. If any of you are injured, don't hesitate to come over." Jayfeather told them before padding away.

"I don't think any of us are sleeping tonight." Ivypool stated.

"With everything that just happened I don't think any of us could." Lelouch responded.

"Then let's get to work then! The camp isn't going to fix itself." Lionblaze walked forward, and the others followed. Lelouch stood looking at the camp, and Dovewing looked back at him.

"Are you coming?" He nodded his head.

"Yeah." _The question's still lingering in my head: Was I really a savior to the clans after all? I know it shouldn't, but it's not because I doubt it still, but because I let it get the best of me. All the cats who died fought for their clan valiantly, so maybe that's why I felt the blame lie on my paws. I couldn't stand seeing their lives disappear in front of me. Any sort of war is like that. Lives were lost in my world, and lives were lost here. Risks need to be taken in order to stop evil. Change couldn't have been made without blood spilling, and it's what we do afterwards that shows if it was all worth it in the end. I don't know how long I'll be in this world, but for now I'll avenge Hollyleaf, Ferncloud, Mousefur, and Firestar by becoming the best warrior I can be._


	7. Epilogue

Epilogue

 _Lelouch opened his_ eyes the next morning, sunlight making its way into the warrior's den. He saw that Dovewing was right next to him and she let out a small smile.

"Good morning sleepyhead."

"Oh, hi Dovewing. Sorry that I was tired and couldn't help fix the camp as much as I could." He apologized.

"That's okay. Bramblestar said that any of us were welcome to sleep whenever we needed to." She responded.

"Right…" Dovewing sensed a hint of uneasiness in his voice.

"Is something wrong?"

"It's just…everything that happened last night…it's a bit hard to take in all at once. I mean, I've been through my share of moments, some maybe even worse than the battle, but no matter what, something that impactful just seems to linger in my head for a bit."

"Well it's understandable. The clans did go through a lot last night. I'm sure all of us are still thinking about it." Lelouch got up to his paws and walked out of the den, Dovewing walking behind him.

"Wow, everything looks almost back to normal already." Lelouch stated, looking at the cats who were rebuilding the camp. Even after a battle like the one yesterday they were all still at work, their new leader Bramblestar watching them all.

"Did you want to go get something to eat?" She asked him, but he shook his head.

"I'm fine for now. Actually, I'll be right back. I want to speak with Bramblestar." Dovewing nodded, and Lelouch headed over to the leader's den. He walked inside, and he let out a small smile once he saw Lelouch.

"Lelouch, did you sleep well?"

"Yes I did, thank you for asking."

"Of course. What can I help you with?"

"Oh, well I was just wondering if the clan needed any more help rebuilding. Everything almost seems good as new."

"I'm sure the clan is doing fine at the moment. After everything's done I was just going to let everyone rest. We all deserve it." He told him. "Now is that all you wanted to ask me?"

"Yes, and another thing, but it's more of a statement." Bramblestar nodded his head, allowing Lelouch to speak. "Tigerstar…he's your father…correct?"

"Yes."

"From what I've been told he was a horrible cat, and what I saw him do yesterday proves those stories. My father was the same way. He was blinded by his own motives and only sought for a world that he wanted. I guess what I'm trying to say is that we're a bit similar, Bramblestar. Don't let anyone hold the fact that your father was bad over your head. You're you, and I know for a fact the leadership you have is greater than his."

"Thank you, Lelouch. I really appreciate it." Lelouch gave him a small nod before leaving the den. He hopped down from the rocks leading to Bramblestar's den and met back up with Dovewing.

"Everything alright?"

"Yeah, I just wanted to ask if the clan needed any more help. He says today he's giving us time to rest."

"I guess it is appropriate, especially after the battle. I'm sure all the other clans are doing the same thing." She told him.

"Yeah." The two stayed silent until Lelouch spoke again. "Listen Dovewing, can I talk with you for a bit?"

"Well, we're talking right now, aren't we?"

"You know what I mean." He meowed. "You don't mind, right?"

"Um…okay." Lelouch made his way to the exit of the camp, and Dovewing followed him, still confused about what was going on. "I didn't do anything bad, did I?" He shook his head.

"Of course not. It's just that...How can I say this without sounding weird?" Lelouch looked around, trying to think of the words to tell her. "Do you…like me, Dovewing?" Her face began to turn hot, and she brought her gaze away from his. _Does he…really think I like him? Maybe I've been being a bit affectionate towards him lately, but that's not the reason why. No, no, that doesn't make sense! I've acted the way I have towards him because of that._ "It's okay if you don't." He rubbed his head with a paw, looking away from her. "I hope things aren't weird between us by me asking."

"No, of course not!" Their eyes met again, and Dovewing let out a sigh. "Lelouch, you really are an amazing cat, and I shouldn't hide the truth from you. You're just…so brave and kind. I guess it also doesn't help that you showed all those traits at the time I needed someone there for me." She admitted. "It's okay if you don't feel the same way. I already have Bumblestripe and Tigerheart practically fighting for my attention, but I think now it's only Bumblestripe." He then let out his own sigh.

"Dovewing…if we're being honest here, I actually do feel the same way." She let out a small gasp.

"Really?" He nodded his head.

"I really shouldn't be feeling this way, especially since we haven't known each other for that long…but…" The tom was at a loss for words. Love was never really his strong spot.

"Lelouch…that really means a lot to me…but I think you should be with Ivypool instead." She replied. "It's just that…having two cats already have feelings for me compared to her not having a cat like that? She really has worked hard and you really do make her happy knowing that you care for her. Ivypool really does love you, Lelouch, more than I do."

"I'm aware." Lelouch's face began to burn with embarrassment. "I know I'm going to sound a bit love crazy at the moment, but I do like her too. She's done so much for me while I've been here and I really…love being around her." He admitted. "I-I don't know if it's wrong because I like you both and you're sisters, but…" She placed her tail over his mouth to silence him.

"I think it's a bit cute, actually." She told him with a soft smile. "I mean, it can't be that weird since you know that we both like you as well."

"I guess you're right. It just sounds a bit weird when I think about it." She let out a small laugh.

"So, is that all you wanted to tell me?" He nodded. "Thanks for bringing it up. I…honestly don't know if I'd have the courage to ask you myself."

"I understand. Love's a pretty confusing emotion."

"Agreed." She looked over at the Clan, and then back at him. "Lelouch, you should go talk to Ivypool. I'm sure she'd love to hear what you just told me."

"Right." The two walked back to the camp and they both began looking for Ivypool. They saw her standing over the fresh-kill pile, dropping off what she just caught. They walked over to her, and she smiled at the sight of them.

"Hi you two." She greeted.

"Hi Ivypool." Her sister responded. She looked over at Lelouch and gave him a small nudge, causing Ivypool to let out a small laugh.

"Is something going on here?"

"No, it's nothing bad." Lelouch told her. "Ivypool, can we talk for a bit? Alone?" He asked her, causing her to tilt her head in confusion.

"Oh, um…sure. I'm not busy right now." She responded. He turned around and made his way towards the camp entrance, and she followed him. Dovewing watched the two and let out a small smile before going back into the warriors' den. The two walked through the thorn tunnel and once they were outside, Lelouch turned around, their eyes connecting.

"So…what did you want to talk about?" She asked him. _I…haven't done anything bad…have I?_ She noticed that the tom didn't speak for a while, his gaze breaking away from hers. _Is he…no…_ A sudden sigh from the tom broke her away from her thoughts.

"Ivypool…during the battle with the Dark Forest yesterday…I saw how much you cared about me."

"Well yeah, we are friends, aren't we?" She responded. "You...really have cared for me too, Lelouch. Why wouldn't I do the same?" A blush formed on her face. His violet eyes once again touched her crystal blue gaze.

"I-Ivypool…we're really great friends…but I've been thinking that we could be…more than that." The blush on her face increased and she placed a paw over her mouth.

"Lelouch…"

"I'm…really not good at this stuff…but…I love you, Ivypool. I know it's strange, especially since I'm not originally a cat, but…I can't fight away how I feel about you…I don't want to." She walked over to him and brushed her head below his chin, her eyes glistening.

"You're perfect to me, Lelouch. I love everything about you." A loving purr resonated from her. "I really do love you, Lelouch. Yesterday you saved my life and I really loved getting to know you ever since you first came to ThunderClan." She rubbed her eyes into his coat. "I'm…so happy that you were the first cat that I ever fell in love with." She brought her head away from his body and looked up at him, but unlike her eyes, his eyes seemed filled with sorrow. "Lelouch? What's wrong?"

"Ivypool…there's going to be a time where I might have to leave this world. I'm…sorry for telling you all this. I don't want to leave a hole in your heart." She shook her head.

"It's okay. I know that you being here is a mistake, but the Clans and I see you being here as a blessing. I want to be the cat who gets the opportunity to be by your side in battle, and in love, for as long as I can." A blush rose on his face, the she-cat in front of him truly expressing her love towards him.

"So…do we tell the others now…or…?" He scratched his head with a paw.

"I mean, if you want to…but if you don't, it's okay."

"Let's just leave it up to both of us to decide that." She let out a cute smile and the two walked back to the middle of the camp. They were greeted by Dovewing, who just walked out of the warriors' den.

"Is it official you two?" Ivypool looked at her with a bit of confusion, and Dovewing let out a sigh. "Don't act like you don't know what I'm talking about, sis! You two are a couple now, right?"

"Oh! Yes, it's true." The confirmation caused her sister to smile.

"Oh, I'm so happy for you two! My amazing sister and amazing friend are together! Lelouch, I know you'll take good care of her."

"I know he will, and if he doesn't, feel free to kill him, Dovewing." Her sister teased.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa, what's this I hear about you two being together?" Cinderheart said approaching the two along with Lionblaze. "Aw…you two look so cute together!" The new couple began to blush. "Sorry, I just couldn't help myself."

"I mean, it's not really a criteria to be a Clan cat, but you do seem to be getting accustomed to this world, Lelouch." Lionblaze told him.

"I think so too. I was just telling Ivypool that…well you all realize that I won't be here forever, right?"

"Of course we do, which makes us cherish the time we get to share with you even more." Cinderheart told him. As they were talking, they saw Bramblestar standing on Highledge, watching over the clan.

"Let all cats old enough to catch their own prey gather here beneath the Highledge for a Clan meeting!" The leader called out. All the cats fitting the criteria made their way below the Highledge and looked up at Bramblestar. "Clanmates, I am very happy about the state the clan camp is in at the moment, especially after what all the clans went through last night. We lost the life of one of the greatest leaders ThunderClan has ever had, and it's going to be quite difficult to fill his pawsteps, but I promise to try our best. I am glad that we have persevered over the struggles we have recently faced and I have high hopes for the future that is yet to come." He let out a small breath and looked over the crowd of ThunderClan cats. "Lelouch, can you please come up here with me?" The black cat looked at the others who now stared at him.

"You should probably go up there." Ivypool told him, a small bit of laughter in her voice. The other cats moved so that Lelouch could join Bramblestar atop of the Highledge.

"Yes, Bramblestar?"

"You're in no trouble, although quite the opposite. ThunderClan thanks you for everything that you've done for us, despite not even being part of this world. You fought valiantly against the Dark Forest cats and have shown how pure your heart truly is. Now, we've never had a case like this before, but as of today, you are officially a ThunderClan warrior, although I'm pretty sure you've taken that title already during the first day you were here."

"Lelouch! Lelouch!" Lionblaze chanted out, and soon, the rest of the cats joined in.

"Thank you everyone, but I should be thanking you all for giving me a place to stay in a world that I am unfamiliar with. I'm not sure when I'll leave this world, but I promise that my loyalty will forever lie with ThunderClan."

"Another thing," Bramblestar looked over back towards the other cats. "I know that it is custom for a newly appointed warrior to go through a silent vigil watching over the clan, but I would like to postpone that necessity for tomorrow night." Cats around the clan began to talk with each other, wondering what their new leader was up to. "Now, I know that this is different, but it's because I would like Lelouch to join Jayfeather and myself to the trip to the Moonpool tonight to receive my lives as leader."

"But why?" Foxleap asked out loud.

"To see if he's able to come in contact with StarClan. I know that he was able to see the spirits of our ancestors yesterday during our battle, but I want to see if he can walk with them in his dreams."

"Bramblestar, are you sure about this? What if StarClan does something to you because of it?" Lelouch asked.

"I'm sure they won't, especially for a harmless act such as this one." He responded. "This clan meeting will now come to a close. I'm sure that the clans are under a truce after our last battle, so there isn't much need for patrols today. Continue fixing up the clan, catching fresh-kill, and resting for a while, but don't think that I'll give you all time like this to rest." He told his clan with a small laugh. He watched as the cats now went on with their day.

"So, why is it important that I can meet with your ancestors in my dreams?"

"Because you're not of clan blood, or even cat blood for that matter. Firestar told me that back in your world you were a Twoleg."

"Oh..."

"Don't see it as a bad thing. Everyone in ThunderClan knows. You can thank Dovewing and Lionblaze for that one." Lelouch let out a small grin. "In all seriousness though, I would like to see if your case is similar to Firestar's. As you know, he isn't clan born, but was able to go as far as becoming leader, which takes contacting StarClan during that time and approaching leadership. I don't doubt that StarClan wants to share tongues with you, but this would be a good time to check."

"Share tongues?" Lelouch tilted his head in confusion.

"Is this the first time you've heard the term before?" He nodded. "Well, I'm sure you've seen it in action though. Sharing tongues is when two cats groom each other and talk." Lelouch thought about it and realized that he had seen the act being done a few times.

"That makes sense. If you don't mind me asking, what about the silent night vigil?"

"That's a typical mandatory duty for all new warriors. All you need to do is keep watch of the clan while the others rest. Because you're the only new warrior at the moment, you'll be taking this task on your own. You have to make sure to stay silent, except in the case of an emergency."

"Got it."

"Excellent. We leave tonight." Lelouch nodded and headed down the Highledge to find the others.

"Hey, there's our new warrior." Lionblaze greeted him as he approached.

"Congratulations, Lelouch. Like Bramblestar said, we were all pretty sure you were warrior material already, but it's official now." Ivypool told him, pressing her body closer to his. Dovewing flinched a bit, causing Cinderheart to look at her with a bit of concern.

"Dovewing, are you okay?"

"What? Oh, y-yeah, my mind's just all over the place, that's all." She told him.

"Are you thinking about Bumblestripe?" She teased.

"No! I just need some alone time, that's all." Dovewing walked away from the group, causing the others to look at each other.

"Maybe I should go talk to her. We are sisters after all, so I can easily get to her." Ivypool left the group and headed over to the vacant area her sister was resting at. "Hey Dovewing, is everything alright?" Her sister stayed silent. Ivypool moved to the front of her and moved her head down so that their eyes met.

"Can you leave me alone for a bit? Please?"

"I can't let my sister be like this? Can't you tell any of us what's wrong?" Dovewing let out a growl, stood up, and looked at her sister.

"I love him too, okay!" She yelled, but not so loud as to bring attention to the two.

"Love him too? What are you…" Ivypool let out a small gasp. "Le-Lelouch?" Dovewing let out a sigh and turned her gaze away from her sister. "Dovewing, please, we can talk about this! Why didn't you tell me?"

"I didn't want you to worry about how I would feel about you and him being together. I know I was happy when I heard the news, but after that…I don't know what happened."

"Dovewing…"

"I don't even know why I'm acting like this. You deserve to feel what being in love is like and having someone. I already have Tigerheart and Bumblestripe on my mind constantly…but now Lelouch is there as well."

"I see. Let me talk to Lelouch about this." Dovewing shook her head, and smiled.

"This is why you deserve him. You're so caring, Ivypool. You don't need to talk about it to him. I told him how I felt before he talked with you." Dovewing let out a small smile. "Just don't worry about me for now. I really probably just need to clear my mind and I'll be back to my old self again."

"But you didn't change at all. It's okay that you love Lelouch. It's not a feeling that you can just throw away like that. I just don't want to see you sad because you're jealous of me."

"And I don't want to see you sad because I'm acting up when I'm really happy for you both." Unexpectedly, Dovewing let out a small laugh. "Love is just stupid sometimes, huh?" That small change in emotions was enough to make Ivypool smile.

"I guess you're the proof of that, huh?" She teased, and received a small push from her sister. "Let's get back to the others."

"Right." As they were walking, Dovewing looked over at her sister. "To be fair, he does like me too, but I'm positive that he loves you."

"You think so?"

"I know so. I hope that he stays here long enough for you to actually have kits." The statement caused Ivypool's face to burn with embarrassment.

"Dovewing! It's too early to think about that!"

"You're right, I'm sorry." She apologized.

"Hey you two. Everything alright?" Lionblaze asked them.

"Yeah, just needed some bonding time."

"As if it was even needed." Cinderheart let out a small giggle.

"So, what are we up to today?" Lelouch asked them.

"We should probably continue helping rebuild the clan. I mean, it looks fine, but I'm sure there are more things needing to be finished." Dovewing responded.

"Well let's get to it then!"

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

"Are we almost there?" Lelouch asked Bramblestar. The moon now illuminated the sky and Bramblestar, Jayfeather, and Lelouch were on their way to the Moonpool.

"That marks the fourth or fifth time you've asked that, Lelouch." Jayfeather told him.

"Sorry. I'm just a bit anxious and tired."

"Well if a walk like this is making you tired even after the herbs we ate before maybe I should take your title of warrior back." Bramblestar joked. "We're actually here right now. Look over there." Lelouch looked around, but didn't see the pool in sight.

"I don't see it."

"Of course you don't, but you do see where the stream begins to flow, right?"

"Yeah."

"Well that stream comes from the Moonpool." Bramblestar walked over to the stone hollow nearby, and Lelouch followed, helping Jayfeather along the way. They walked into the hollow and Lelouch looked in awe at the glistening pool in front of his eyes. Everything seemed tranquil, the only sound heard being the small waterfall pouring into it.

"It's amazing." Lelouch told him. "So, what do we need to do now?"

"You both need to drink the water from the Moonpool and then begin to dream." Jayfeather told them as he approached the pool to drink some of the water. He lied down on the ground, and both Lelouch and Bramblestar made their way towards the pool. They each took a sip, and then found a spot to lie down at to begin sharing tongues with StarClan.

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

Lelouch slowly opened his eyes and saw no sign of Jayfeather or Bramblestar, or even the Moonpool for that matter. Stars were scattered throughout the sky above and the surroundings overall felt peaceful. From the grass, to the trees, Lelouch's mind was at ease. _This must be StarClan._ He thought.

"Lelouch, is that you?" The black cat turned around to see who called his name. He saw a dark tortoiseshell and white she-cat with amber eyes.

"I'm sorry, do I know you?" He asked her, and she shook her head.

"It's okay though. This is this first time we've met. I just know you because this is where I live now." Lelouch could sense a certain scent to her, one that also helped add to the beauty surrounding him. "I'm Spottedleaf. I'm sure you've at least heard about me."

"Wait…you're Spottedleaf? I thought that you died yesterday at the battle with the Dark Forest." She nodded her head, and that response caused him to flinch a bit, realizing that right in front of him was a cat who had to experience death a second time.

"You don't need to feel bad about me dying, Lelouch. I knew the risk that I was taking, and even I'm surprised that I'm still here in StarClan."

"I'm sorry that I couldn't help save you, Spottedleaf." She shook her head and let out a small smile.

"You're exactly like Firestar. Cats like that don't come around every day. Here, I'll guide you around StarClan." She took the lead and he followed right next to her.

"Wait, you said that you were surprised that you were still here in StarClan. Does that mean if you die here that's it?"

"That's what I've been told. Even I'm not sure how I'm still here, but I'm really glad that I got to meet you, Lelouch. When I said you were exactly like Firestar, I meant it. You share every characteristic he has, from his leadership to his courage, and even to his looks as well." Lelouch began to blush a bit, and she let out a small giggle.

"Where is Firestar anyway?"

"He's over at a separate area of StarClan giving Bramblestar his nine lives. You're not allowed to see the ceremony, so that's why you're here." The two reached an area filled with cats hunting, resting or sharing tongues. Lelouch saw some familiar faces from yesterday, such as Whitestorm and Lionheart. Suddenly, a breeze blew past the two, a cascade of pink petals following it.

"Cherry Blossoms? I've never seen them in the forest." Lelouch told her.

"Well that's because your friend brought this one here to tell us about you."

"My friend?"

"Yes. She was a Twoleg with lime green hair. We were a bit shocked at first, but once we found out she was able to communicate with us, we were a bit relieved."

"That must be C.C. Is she still here now?" She shook her head.

"I'm afraid not. She gave us this tree as a sign to show us that you were the cat prophesized. This tree native to where you're from is a beautiful addition to StarClan." Lelouch let out a small sigh. "Is something wrong?"

"It's just that…I don't know if I've fulfilled my prophecy yet." He looked over at her. "Spottedleaf, do you think I have?"

"That's all up to your interpretation, Lelouch. Do you feel like you have?"

"Bluestar asked me the same question last night."

"So, what's your answer?" She asked.

"I…yes Spottedleaf, I do feel like I've been a savior to the clans. Initially, I felt like I didn't when I asked you, but now I realize that every single cat that fought for the clans last night is a savior in their own right." His response caused her to smile.

"That was a very eloquent answer. I know I told you before, but I'm grateful to have the opportunity to meet and talk with you, Lelouch. Even though you're not from this world, it's good to know that there are creatures with the same exemplary qualities of warriors here." She brushed her head under his muzzle, causing him to blush a bit.

"Um…Spottedleaf?"

"Hm?" She moved away from him. "Oh, did I make you uncomfortable? I thought you were Firestar for a second." She apologized. "Anyway, you should be going now. I think Bramblestar and Jayfeather are waiting."

"Thank you for the talk. I appreciate it."

"You're welcome. Just remember that as long as you're in this world, StarClan will be watching over you." Lelouch nodded his head and watched as Spottedleaf's figure became a blur.

Lelouch slowly opened his eyes to see Jayfeather and Bramblestar looking over his body.

"So…how was it?" Jayfeather asked. "Anything bad happen to you?"

"What? No, nothing bad happened. I did talk to Spottedleaf though."

"Spottedleaf? I thought she died during the battle yesterday?" Bramblestar stated.

"She did, but even she doesn't know why she's still alive." He answered. "So Bramblestar, is it official?" The ThunderClan leader nodded his head. "That's great to hear."

"Thank you. How about you, Lelouch? What did you and Spottedleaf talk about?"

"Well she told me that my companion C.C. visited StarClan and left a Cherry Blossom Tree there."

"It's a beautiful tree, Bramblestar. Hopefully you can see it sometime." Jayfeather told him.

"I see. Anything else?"

"Well, I answered my own question about my prophecy."

"What's your answer to it?" Bramblestar wondered.

"I believe that I have fulfilled my prophecy, however that doesn't mean that I'm going to just sit around and do nothing. ThunderClan's my home at the moment, and I'll continue to train and protect it and the other clans from any danger." His response caused Bramblestar to smile.

"If I didn't know any better I'd say you were born a ThunderClan cat." Lelouch let out a small laugh. "Come, we should get going back to the camp." The two others nodded and followed Bramblestar. _I'm still unsure if C.C. sent me here for a reason, of if it was by mistake. Where else could she possibly send me anyway? Going back to my world is out of the picture, so what now? Do I stay here in the forest with ThunderClan, or will fate call me somewhere else? Regardless, I'll make sure to fight for peace, no matter what world I'm in._


End file.
